Happy Earth Day 2011!

To mark Earth Day 2011, I thought I'd post what Mother Nature has sent us so far this spring.  Actually, these pictures were taken about a week ago and things have really changed in that length of time.  Here's the front gates of our home.  Our real forsythia is long done here in Atlanta, but the forsythia on the wreaths remain....at least till next week.

We plant pansies in the fall and they bloom all winter long.  Here are a few remaining with the daffodils by the entrance.

 
 

These will soon be ripped out and replaced with impatiens for the summer.

I just planted this viburnum last year and it is at least making an effort to bloom, bless it's heart!

Here's the view from the back of the house looking down to the lake.  This dogwood specimen is beautiful, but the woods are full of wild dogwood, too. 

Most of the azaleas are these George Tabor variety.  They are my favorite.  The blooms are bigger than the average azalea and they cut for arranging very well. 

These are just sitting in the back turn around waiting to go to the garden. This is Mr. Pressed Pants favorite plant, so I pick them up as soon as I see yellow hibiscus in the garden center each spring. I wish they would winter for me.  I've tried and tried, but I have to replace them each year.  I don't mind since he loves them so much. 

I must say they really have a showy blossom.

Here's another view looking over the railing of the circular white deck down toward the lake.

The woods are full of native azaleas and wild dogwood.

This dogwood is so much fuller and whiter this week.

I've spent several years filling this terrace bed with perennials.  It is so rewarding to see these return.  Not everything has come back, but I'm making progress.  My goal is to not have to put any annual color into these beds, but as you can see, I'm a ways away from that.

The back pond has since been cleaned and the stones reset.  I love the lamb's ear in the bed here.

The lenten roses were awesome this year.  We have lots of these.  I wish I could figure out a good way to cut them and use them for floral arrangements.  Their little heads just droop too much.

This front fountain is just beginning to fill in.  The daffodils are done, but the hosta which surrounds it, are just poking up.  Time to get out there with the deer repellent.  Now!!!

The boxwood topiaries that I had in these cement pots didn't make it through the winter.  I replaced them with standards of gardenias. 

The flowers do show up and.....

they smell divine!

I'm working toward removing all of the nandina and small plantings in the front and making it just fern beds.  These guys want to join the party again this year!

Thanks for visiting and saluting Earth Day with me.  I hope your little corner of the earth is blessing you with similar treasures.  If not, be patient, they're coming!