Apparently, this weekends winds did in the rest of forsythia as they are all pretty much bare. And they were at the end of their bloom cycle here anyway. My patio and much of the surrounding area looks like it snowed......the wind has blown off all the plum tree blossoms and there is a delicate carpet of white all over the ground. Much preferred over the real white stuff!!

Kevin - you mean to tell me you can't find a single place to put them after that big addition?? ;-) What's the deal with pickling anyway? Do you have to put the cukes in brine within a couple days of picking them? itsmce - wow jeez! Some crazy winds there. Sorry to hear about the potted tomato plant, but good thing it was just the extra one that was damaged. I think the onions will pull through, they look amazing! I am very happy to see that you've finally gotten a good soaking rain. Hopefully it continues to come in moderation.

I have been gone for almost two weeks, and much has changed in the yard, thankfully. One of my favorite azaleas is blooming, this view which looks upwards into it. I like for its luminous white-pink blooms and because you can see the topmost blooms from the back deck. These tiarellas were rescued from near extinction last year, and they grew from extremely small starts to what you see below. I think I'm going to add some more for a mass planting. And, I LOVE the cobalt blue of the Brunnera. I will definitely turn that into a mass planting. These were abused by the plowman, and still look good this year. I thought they were goners. Just wish the variegated leaf forms would grow from seed. I bought four Percy Wiseman Rhododendron this year. I LOVE these colors. The buds are bright pink, but the flowers are light pink tinged with yellow. The three colors simultaneously on the plant are just gorgeous. And, ending with a very pleasant surprise. I ordered roughly 15 bare-root peonies last year in the fall from GH Wild. I planted them in rich well-prepared soil, and nearly all of them have buds this year. Did NOT expect that. It's going to be exciting! Below is one with two big fat buds. As a side note, I am realizing that these spring-blooming trees and shrubs are a good color bridge between bulbs and my "normal" herbaceous perennial season. The new azaleas may be off their true bloom time since they were just purchased and I'm assuming are under more of a greenhouse/grower timeline. But, I'm hoping next year they are blooming during this needed "bridge" time.

Near Tahlequah we had light rain showers during the night. I did chores, starting at 4:15 AM, watching a show of lightening to the North and West of us. By the time I was finishing, around 5:10 AM, the wind was picking up and I could hear quite a bit of thunder. It began to rain, very lightly. By the time I left for work (about 5:40 AM) it was POURING rain and the lightening show was spectacular. I got soaked, just making it about 25' from where I parked to clock in. Last night I was congratulating myself on getting to bed early. But... I did run out to the garden and plant a few things! Then, as the clock was ticking, I also ran around, collecting my seedling trays with small plants, and putting them under cover. A gully washer, or worse yet, hail, would have destroyed them.