Spring Garden

Like all labradors, Blake will put anything in his mouth. To avoid having to find it again on the living room carpet, it is necessary to dog (sorry…) his footsteps wherever he goes when he is out in the garden. This morning was crisp and clear and it was a pleasure to be out there as we did our rounds. 

I always know it is spring when I can pick my first big handful of sweet peas. They've grown so tall against the fence next to the equally tall fava bean plants that a ladder will be necessary to harvest the next round.The smell of the sweet peas is intoxicating, Since they look so nice in Dana's vase, I think I'll give them to her.

The snapdragon bouquet is for Maya. She and I were admiring them together the last time she was here, inspiring her to paint one. Hope you all enjoy this bouquet of flowers from the garden. It probably won't be the last.
Maya told me that she saw a picture of a single dried snapdragon blossom which looked exactly like a skull. I have dried one on the kitchen windowsill and it looks exactly like a dried snapdragon blossom.

The roses are all in full bloom. Some of them have so many buds in a cluster around one in full bloom that it seems wrong to cut them. Several yellow varieties are just beginning to bloom. Lady banks is almost finished and Coretta Scott King is looking a bit peaked, but the deep purple twilight roses are a wonderful complement to the sweet peas. 

The iris, which we rescued from the reject heap at the back of our property when we moved here, are blooming in all their unusual colored glory. I photographed and painted them many times last year, but I'm hoping they've all been forgotten, because I'm sure I won't be able to resist photographing them again.

A striking orange and black bird which OilMan thinks is a Western Oriole has been visiting the bird cafe every afternoon. I've seen him at the hummingbird feeder several times and he doesn't seem particularly shy, but by the time I retrieve my camera, he has disappeared into the oak trees. By the time I remember to leave the camera at the ready in anticipation of a sighting,  he probably will have moved on.