Spring Blooms

Spring has finally begun to show itself around here. We went out of town for a few days around Easter, and when we came back, everything was coated with a fine yellow dust. Tree pollen is everywhere, and I spent all of last week pumping myself full of medication so I could breathe. Ah. spring!

By Saturday morning I had pickled my insides with enough allergy meds that I was able to do some yard work and enjoy being outside in the beautiful sunny weather we had here in the DC area.  I had one empty pot in my front yard which I filled with these yellow and red/white petunias. Right now there's a lot of pink in my garden, so I was drawn to these lighter colors. 

My big chore was tidying up the backyard. Here are some Before and After shots of the ivy all over my goldfish pond. It had gotten out of control and I spent time Saturday clearing this up.  Some of the ivy roots had begun to take hold inside the pond, which is not a good thing. It looks great all cleaned up now! The water seems to flow much better too. Frogs are a sign of a healthy pond, so I was excited to see the frog this morning. Hope he's here to stay.

Back to blooms--The pink azalea bushes have really taken off. The purple, white, and red azaleas haven't emerged yet, but I see buds and am sure I'll have more color in the garden soon. I'm not sure why the pink looks so electric in these photos. It's a little more subdued in person.

The snapdragons I planted last year have made a comeback. When we left town before Easter there were a few buds on the plants, and I was so happy to see all this color when I got back. Again, they're a very electric pink, mixed with some red and a little yellow. 

Here's the last pink bloom in my garden--on my strawberry plant. I am looking forward to some home grown strawberries this year, if this net can keep the birds and squirrels off. And that's about it for the flowery things in my garden. I'll post an update on some of my veggies soon.

I'm linking up with Carol of May Dreams Garden's Garden Blogger Bloom Day. Head over to her site to see what's blooming in others' gardens. Maybe they'll have colors other than pink. :)