Thrilled to the Very Edges of Your Soul

    The dogwood is blooming in the backyard!  My daughter, Danielle, gave this flowering dogwood tree to me one year for Mother’s Day.  We planted the tree in the backyard at the edge of the woods.  It would probably grow better if it were transplanted closer to the house, but in my little mind, this is where it should be. When they are blooming in the spring, dogwoods remind me of little bits of lace along the woods.  So isn’t it appropriate that this little tree is planted on the edge of the woods?

    This beautiful crabapple in the backyard is loaded with blooms again this year.  I love the color of these!  Notice the bronze color of the leaves!  Right now, the tree is just a beautiful specimen!

   The dwarf peach iris is blooming again!  I just love this little plant.  Isn’t it amazing that such a beautiful bloom comes from such a homely rhizome?   This particular little iris does not seem to multiply as quickly as the other irises in the garden, but it is multiplying ever so slowly.  It is planted on the southwestern side of the house.  You might think that is why it blooms earlier, but some of the other lavender and purple irises are planted close by and all around these dwarf irises.

  The lavender and deep purple irises are budding, but this peach iris is always the first to show it’s lovely blooms.  

    This tiny little Alpine violet, (Viola Labradorica), is one I actually bought and planted, unlike the violets which came up on their own, under the old pink roses.  I found these plants in a section of flowers being sold as ‘steppables’.   I planted these little plants around the stepping stones in one of the flower beds in the backyard.  

      The leaves on these are so delicate, pretty, green, and purple.  I love the dark veining on the little leaves. They look pretty even when the plant is not in bloom!   The tiny, bright lavender blooms appear in early spring and the plants continue to bloom profusely for several weeks in the spring and early summer. Then, with one more burst of violet color, they bloom again in the fall.

    The white bleeding heart continues to bloom.   The first week in April, this little plant began blooming.  I love the delicate little white blossoms and the tiny little pink at the very bottom of the heart.  This plant is so much smaller than the pink bleeding heart we had at our first home. We apparently had the perfect spot with morning sun and afternoon shade for it there, because the plant was huge!  This year I think we need to plant another pink one, but they now have red ones!  So many flowers and where can I possibly plant them all?

    Spring is my very favorite time of year.  Each and every little blossom on all of the flowers are a sheer delight.  I hope you are thrilled to the edges of your very soul by these and your own flowers in spring bloom!