First day of May, Frost went through and all plants survived! Still considering uncovering them but still afraid of more frost. my cherry blossom tree is in FULL BLOOM! I love it!
Quite a long time ago, I pollinated the flowers of the white bearded iris, "Immortality" with pollen from a bronzy/tan colored variety, "Custard Spice". I grew out seeds from that cross. I liked one, and kept it. Over the years, my bearded iris bed became overgrown with thistles and I mostly gave up. Last summer, I dug out all of the rhizomes that I could find, cleaned them up, and replanted in a freshly cleared area surrounding a fir tree stump. I didn't expect any to bloom this year. There are lots of buds. That old home-made hybrid is the first to bloom. I had named it "Golden Caterpillar taking a Pilgrimage up the Snowy Mountain to Seek Enlightenment", figuring that name wasn't already taken. There is a bit of fragrance. Not super strong, but it's there.
Spring blooms are showing signs of color and leaf growth on deciduous shrubs and trees. Dogwoods are showing off as are the rhodies , camellia, weigelas & azaleas.
