Spring

Unusual year so far... Rain in due season, gorgeous spring temps! I can't remember a spring this nice in the entire time I've been here in Georgia...

Cherokee rose in March. Late freeze last year meant no flowers... This plant is some aggressive...
 

Florida Anise also March bloom... Started cuttings in pots a couple years ago, went through an unusual winter cold spell in pots without probs, set out last spring.

Robinia (black locust) in flower also in March... Planted root suckers from town...

Eventually will be useful as fence posts... in the meanwhile, new root suckers are replanted outside of garden... hopefully to improve the sand.

Another March bloom.... Grancy Greybeard(Chionanthus virginicus) finally blooming... After several years of nothing.

Spiderwort (now)

Poppies (last week)

Box turtle in town, (couple weeks ago) seemed to be laying eggs!

Gardening Challenges and Successes

It seems like the more work I do to improve the soil, the worse the rodents get... Stupid voles are having a population spike in spite of anything the cats can do... and they do plenty...

Looking for prey?

Actually... Mom caught this one...

They took turns questioning the prisoner... before eventually eating the evidence...

Got some taters up... trying to out-wit the voles by planting this patch next to the house in the foundation planting... Where the cats poop... 

Poppies are up...

Magenta spreen (chenopodium giganteum) seedlings... Gotta 'preciate food that self-sows...

Returning verbesina virginica ... Yall remember the frostflowers

Peaking Hellebores
And camellias

Spreading Mountain mint (pycnanthemum spp.)

I'm a real fan of this stuff...  it spreads very well, and is a valuable resource to the native pollinators...

 as seen on this video

This winter I found that It worked beautifully to clear my lungs when I had that bug that went around... I googled expectorant herbs and then went out and harvested the pitiful offering of leaves... This year... Ima dry some ahead of time...