The pulmonaria are emerging.  Hard working, they’re great for the shade. And, after they bloom, their spotted leaves add interest in a shady border.  If they get a little ragged in the heat of mid-summer, I simply cut back any dead leaves or shear it back a bit, and new growth appears.

Pulmonaria 04-16

The Shishigarshira maple (acer palmatum) is starting to bud.  This tree is interesting in just about any season. Here, the light green buds contrast with the texture of the bark and the reddish stems. Interestingly, ours doesn’t drop any whirlygig seeds, so no babies.

Japanese Maple 04-16

The flowering pear street-side is always the first to flower for us.

Flowering plum 04-16

On Saturday, we did a lot of work on our front bed. We replaced the yews with something new… stay tuned for more!