Sunday, March 20, 2011

Spring is sprung!

In honor of the first day of spring, I thought I would share with you the flowers blooming in my garden today. This is a hanging basket of flowers next to the Solari Bell. It has been blooming all winter.
Peaches to be-- in bloom. I don't seem to have as many blooms this year as I did last. Last year I had lots and lots of peaches
Violets from my Mom's garden (she got them soon after she came to the U.S. from Libby McGuire who got her into the Daughters of the British Empire) which have been blooming all winter, but are hanging on
Ah, the fragrant orange blossoms. They fill the night air with sweetness. The bees like the orange blossoms. I would love to taste orange blossom honey, wouldn't you? During the day when I pick the oranges I am often joyfully surprised by the orange scent from a small break in the peel. We live in an old orange grove. I'm not sure when these trees were planted, but it was a mature grove when our houses were built in 1952. Once you have consumed orange juice from my oranges, you will be spoiled for store bought.
View of a flower bed.
This is called Statis. IT is a perennial and just blooms when watered.
A honey bee in the nasturtiums. I harvest the nasturtiums seeds each year also. I have to replant in the pots, but not in the flower beds.
This is some kind of a bulb that Mom gave me. She got them from the Orcutts. It has sorta an onion smell to it and once took over most of Mom's front yard in S. Phx.
These are the apricot blossoms. I think I will have more apricots this year than last. I'm excited! Store bought apricots always taste bland. We had 2 apricot trees when I was a child. I would sit in the one in the front yard, read a book and eat apricots!
I think I got these bulbs from my neighbor, Mitzie. I gave her some of my purple ones which will bloom later.
Snow peas are blooming and growing. I got the original snow pea seeds from Dave and Emma Sing years ago. I just let some of the pods grow into peas and harvest them for next year.
This is a succulent with purple and orange bell shaped blossoms. They grow under one of the orange trees, mixed in with nasturtiums
This succulent is from Thelma who lived in our S. Phx. apartments and was a quilter and a great friend of our family for many years. She lived till almost 100.
These are larkspur (purple) that I got from Faye and Lineria, the little magenta flowers with the yellow centers in the foreground. This is what is blooming now in my friendship garden. I hope the pictures bring you a small amount of the joy that the flowers bring me. If you live here and want cuttings, bulbs, or seeds just let me know.