Saturday, spring rain

[OT from cottage renovations]

this morning's rain was a welcome relief to gardens all over the Grove. 

(click through these thumbnails for higher resolution images)

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Bittersweet Cottage garden

the crabapple tree in front of the cottage has come into bloom and has leafed out over the past couple of days.  click through to the full sized image to appreciate how the blush of colour propagates through the petals. 

crabapple

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these potted fuchsias have been coming home in ones and twos as deck cargo.  I find them quite attractive and they are intended to have the same effect on the hummingbirds.  the first migratories should be showing up within the next couple of weeks and the place will be ready for them. 

fuchsia

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weeping cherry

add water and subtract light:  when you do this the blossoms become even more ethereal. 

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over the years Virginia Bluebells have been colonising in a very gratifying manner.  in the spring for a few months they completely overtake the patio and are rushing down the side and back of the property in a torrent of loveliness. 

Mertensia virginica
virginia bluebells

it takes a great deal of effort on my part to refrain from posting terabytes of image files dedicated to these. 

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bleeding heart

this perennial has been growing more fully with each year since I put it in, and like the bluebells it has spent the time establishing colonies.  one is in the median of Grove Road and another is in the East Woods. 

along Grove Road

apple blossom

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the rain adds a layer of texture to this blooming magnolia, giving it an entirely different aspect. 

magnolia
Zöe Wadsworth Park

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Spiraea prunifolia