Outdoors today, April 21

There are more and more butterflies every day now, and the blueberry bushes are filled with them, along with bumblebees and honeybees.

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I also encountered this little guy while I was out walking today. He’s kind of muddy, I don’t know if he came from near the lake or if he’s just recently came out of hibernation. I’ve been raking and cleaning the yard in early spring before and accidently uncovered these Box Turtles, they burrow themselves down into the dirt and leaves in winter and come out around the end of March through the end of April. Click on any of the turtle photos to view much larger versions.

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After a severe drought here for at least two years, we’ve had almost normal rainfall levels so far this year, and the lake I live on is finally rising. At least it no longer looks like the desert. Hopefully, the rains will continue and along with the normal spring filling of the reservoir, the lake will soon be back to normal levels.

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We had gorgeous weather again here today and I’ve spent most of the day outdoors, camera in hand. I never get tired of taking photos this time of year. :)

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Flowers and plants this week, April 20

We had beautiful weather this weekend, with bright sun and temps in the 80s and a pollen count beyond the red level. I spent the day outside sneezing, weeding, coughing, cleaning up, sniffling, and taking photos.

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Creeping phlox

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My creeping phlox (Phlox subulata), also known as thrift or Mountain Phlox, is in full bloom right now. This is an evergreen perennial and it is very resilient and easy to grow. I have it planted in various spots on a steep slope and it grows well, even in rocky, poor soil. It spreads slowly and makes a good groundcover or edging. I also have large clumps of purple and white thrift growing over the top of a rock wall. Click any of the photos to view larger versions.

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Azaleas

I have several colors of azaleas in full bloom right now, with other, later-blooming varieties still to come. I have two large azaleas that are evergreen and these will bloom closer to the end of spring. Azaleas are maintenance free and easy to grow, as long as they are in acid soil.

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Miscellaneous blooms

Large old cherry tree in full bloom

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I have shrubs and flowers starting to bloom all over the yard, in addition to all the many wildflowers and native trees in bloom right now. Even with the extremely high pollen count, I love this time of year!

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Snowball bush filled with immature blossoms

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The huge snowball (Snowball Viburnum) bush is absolutely filled with buds right now. I look forward to this every year. This old shrub is many years old and is the biggest snowball bush I’ve ever seen at more than 15 feet tall and around half that wide. I always prune it a little right after it finishes blooming. When these blossoms mature they will be much larger and turn bright white. The blossoms on this shrub are always huge and I don’t see how the bush is able to hold them all up! I can already see some of the petals turning white, so it won’t be long now.

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Other blooms

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Click any photo to view a larger version.

It seems every day now there’s something new in bloom, and there’s always a reason to carry the camera around outside. Isn’t this a great time of year? What’s blooming in your yard right now?

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Kerria

My kerria has a gazillion blooms on it right now. Click photo to enlarge.

This hardy, fast-growing deciduous shrub, Kerria japonica, is about 8 feet tall right now, with arching bright green stems and sharply serrated leaves. The double-flowered blooms are so heavy that the stems arch to the ground, and I usually prune it back severely every year after the first heavy bloom. This shrub will rebloom often from now right up until frost late this fall. They are very easy to grow, even in rocky soil, and while this one is in full sun, I know that they will also do well in shade.

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Lilacs

My lilac bushes are at peak bloom right now, and they are so pretty. In sunlight they look lavendar to light pink, and after the sun goes down they look deep purple in the late evening light. I can smell them all over the yard and even inside the house.

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Closeup of lilac blossoms

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Dark purple lilacs

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Clusters of lilac flowers

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Click to enlarge photos.

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Related post: Lilacs are blooming (4-14-2009)

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