spring blooms

Earlier this week there were lots of pretty spring blooms around the yard so I took a few photos.  Hope things aren't too beaten down now, by the rain and wind yesterday.

Hyacinths...

There is a pink one too but it is never as robust as the purple ones. 

This is a little apricot tree that was here when we moved here. It has had a growth spurt in the last few years...it is getting more sunlight since that diseased sycamore tree in the background doesn't leaf out as much. 

A close up of the apricot blooms...so sweet!

Nearby is a Red Bud tree. This was here when we moved in, too. They do grow wild in the woods here - so I'm not sure if someone planted this or if it grew on it's own.

Our pear trees finally bloomed, but the wind was blowing all the petals off yesterday. It looked like a flurry of enormous snow flakes!

This is a Flowering Quince.  it will really be pretty is it ever starts getting bigger.  It might need some compost dug into the soil around it.

My one and only tulip, which for some reason is growing under the Contorted Filbert.

The red is sort of jarring among all the pastel colors of the other blooms!

Speaking of the Contorted Filbert...when I was weeding this week, I noticed one of the lower branches had rooted where it was touching the ground.  I snipped it from the main tree and dug it up and planted it in a flower pot for now.  I'm not sure where I will put it if it does well - but there must be a spot for it around here somewhere!

Speaking of weeding - in that same flower bed, I once had asparagus growing, and now every year one or two of the plants will still come up.

Well, I was weeding away when I noticed an asparagus stalk about 8" high, so I just snapped it off and ate it. Just as I swallowed I though "that really didn't taste like asparagus". 

 As I looked around I didn't see any more asparagus...but I did see some stalks of Iris emerging from the ground.

I think that must be what I ate... an Iris stalk!   Bleh.

Now this last plant isn't blooming but I'm glad to see it looking so perky this spring. It's a Hops vine that I planted last year. 

They can grow really tall/long, so last year I stapled that vinyl mesh to the fence post for it to climb.

But the plant did not want to cling to the mesh. No matter how many times I tried to get it to twine around and climb the post, it would flop off or that stem would wilt and die.

I need to look up some info and try something else, I guess.