For Earth Day...The Front Yard

For Earth Day...Azalea, Camellia, Lily of the Valley, Dogwood, & a Bumble Bee

Earth Day Yard Blooms

For Earth Day, some yard blooms...

White azalea brightens up the path to the secret garden that I have been unable to enjoy

The cherry trees were less than spectacular this year

But the dogwoods, my favorite tree, are splendid!

Even though they tried, they couldn't kill my mini Japanese maple..she's resilient, just like me!

The pink and red azaleas have bloomed, still waiting on the coral ones.

Pine trees sprouting cones and seeds

The mighty oak causing all sorts of allergy problems

The Azaleas

The wicked wind wasted all the cherry blossoms. For a couple of hours pink petals blanketed the lawn. The wind returned and the flowery hosts landed in your mouth when speaking. Green limbs look undressed. As I was lamenting the loss, the sun waved behind me, beckoning me to photograph the next vibrant display of Roanoke spring -- The azaleas...

Azaleas

My azaleas, are tough.



The front bushes stood in the way of window replacements. Willy nilly they were hacked away to make room for ladders and workers. I feared they wouldn't survive the stress and I had seen the last of the blooms.



I was wrong. Although they're not as full and well-shaped as they were last year, they soldiered on, adapted to the conditions and managed to bloom beautifully.



Even the most recent white azalea bush I planted in the back had been stomped upon during a winter snow. My husband said I killed it under my motorcycle boot sole. He was wrong.



The shrub adapted -- it's lower and wider than before -- but its blooms are more beautiful this year than last.



Then there's the yew -- notorious for being stubborn and tough -- it didn't fare as well as the dainty lady-like azaleas.



Yet, new growth springs forth...

Azaleas

It was nice to meet a friend on Friday for a walk along the Roanoke river (beautiful as usual) followed by a tasty lunch downtown at Wasabi's (Sumo Roll still rules) then a stroll to the Strawberry Festival (overrated unless you're a huge fan of strawberries I guess) onto getting ripped off by downtown parking lot fees ($5.00 for a minute over two hours is way too much for lunch) and topped off with a nerve-wracking ride in an about to over-heat car up Chestnut Mountain to take pictures at Happy Hollow Gardens.





Happy Hollow has always been known for its amazing azaleas. This year, they weren't too amazing. Maybe I waited too long and they had already peaked. I thought I actually had at least another weekend since my azaleas were still pretty brilliant and Happy Hollow's elevation is much higher, but apparently not. However, this orange azalea is a pretty rare sight...



Luckily I made it back down the mountain by cruising so the car didn't overheat until I pulled into my carport. This is the view from my driveway. If I'm looking for that azalea shot I think I'll stick closer to home next time...