FINALLY!!

Spring is finally here! I usually don't do much fall clean-up as you can tell from this picture (it's a bit blurry - my camera is fussy).
This picture is after a major clean-up. Looks a little bit better, huh?
We had to transplant a pear tree today to get ready for the rain garden. The tree is where the hose ends in the bed. There had been a bushy maple there, but I think that the pear will make a better anchor to this bed. There is a magnolia on the other side of the path that I think will make a good match.

Hyacinths!! I have tried hyacinths so many times in the past, and they are so expensive that I almost gave up on them. I got these as a started pack from Home Depot about two years ago and they are still doing well! I might actually get some more this spring.

This was my first bed of bulbs. Some of the bulbs are no longer performing, but the majority ares still doing well. It will be a week or two before any of these start blooming, but I will be sure to post pictures!

The bane of my beds - CREEPING CHARLIE!!! I hate this stuff. It completely takes over and actually climbs over the plants that I plant and smothers them. If any one knows of a good way to get rid of this stuff, I would love to know!

I love these Dutch irises. I am always surprised to see them come up each year because I forget that I have planted them.

I still have to set these bricks in sand. That is going to be a very big, probably expensive job. But it will be so great once it is done.

My first daffodils of the year. I got these in started packs from Home Depot two years ago with the hyacinths. These daffodils are petite and multiply like CRAZY!! If you need to fill in an area in a hurry, I would highly recommend a trip to Home Depot for these (sorry, I don't know the variety)

I love the species tulips. They may not be popular with many people since they aren't as in-your-face as many tulips, but they are dependable and I love their understated beauty.

This was dropped off at my door four years ago by the daughter of a woman who loved my garden and thought that I would appreciate it. I DO!! It is a fern peony. I have no idea what color the flower will be since it is still getting established. I have heard that these can take up to a decade to get established enough to bloom. I hope mine doesn't decide to wait that long.

I forgot what these are called, but I love them and they have been multiplying well.

One last shot of my garden after all the weeding and clean-up this weekend. I know I say this every year, but I really think that this year might be the year my garden really comes together!