Very pretty. Nothing like blooming beginning, is there. Is that Spot with the clematis? You are right, the black and white kittens do resemble her, at least the female does....the male is too fluffy. How pretty Spot is! That is the cutest photo of her. I like Victorian Victory; you know me and red. Nellie Moser looks good., and I love those golden roses.

The cool delayed my blooms opening today, but most of them finally made it. Continued cool will slow for both of us, but only for a few days, and I really feel for those more northern friends who are suffering much cooler and colder than we.are.

kay

Great photos, Kate! So nice to see yours and Kay’s gardens starting up. Frost is predicted here Saturday morning, hoping for minimal damage. It looks like Celeste may be getting snow, yuck!

Sherry

Yes, Kay, that is Spot. (Spot is a DOC-drop off cat. After my beloved 22 year old Jasper cat died last year I had no plans to get another. Trust me, after 40 years of cats it felt strange not to have a fur baby around. A few weeks ago, Spot who was named by my grandson, and two brothers showed up. They are grown and tame and I wonder if they are collateral damage from the virus strained economy. The boys roamed on. Spot stayed. She brought up a snake and a vole so got to take up residence. She loves to garden with me. So the heart opens for another cat!)

I saw that New England was likely getting snow, Sherry. I agree, yuck on that!

I waited to see if this would show up. I posted as comment in first post but it disappeared. Will try again.

I have had this rose for years! Of course no name. Just amazing colors.

They bloom as this

then change to this

then to this

and finally to this

Wow, Kate, that rose is really something! Such cool habits.

Sherry

Is the rose Joseph's Coat? You have lots to enjoy, and things look healthy.

I'm not a big rose fan, but that rose you have Kate is amazing!

Brad

The daylilies and color changing rose are beautiful, but my favorite pic is Spot gazing at the purple clematis.

Debra

This is a rose I bought in the clearance section at a big box store. I don’t usually buy roses (concentrating on perennials) but this one actually looked pretty good.

I don’t think it is Joseph’s Coat as it is not a climber nor has any tendency to throw stray branches. I should have gotten a better picture of as a whole-it has the perfect vase shape without pruning (except for the early height ) Whatever it is, I love watching the evolution of color. It is also a great cut rose. And a wonderful rebloomer after first flush!

Kate , wondering if your rose could be "Coat of Many Colors ' or "

Joseph's Coat" Lovely changes of color ! Remembering Grace is my favorite daylily shown here . what a lovely mix of colors on that one . Your clematis could be a species clematis .

Comment once again disappeared! Once again-shortened version!

Heather, thanks for trying to help ID the rose. Pretty sure this one is older than Coat of Many Colors. And it blooms out the purest orange, not yellow.

Debra, that is my favorite pic as well! Spot is young and loves to be close in the garden. She killed another vole yesterday so got extra treats.

This gardening stuff can be exhausting!

Bloom time is getting closer to me! So good to see your daylilies, Kate! I have been meaning to check with you if your peonies bloomed? Love that rose, such a wonderful range of colors. I see a few daylilies scaping now: Fern Stone, Jim Brown, Pawprints on my Heart, Complex Complexities, and a couple others, it is getting close. I am sure the cooler weather the next week will slow it down more. I am getting ready! Spot is beautiful, reminds me of a cat I used to have. Picked her up as a kitten in a department store parking lot. Name her Pandora's Box because she was trouble from the start, LOL.

Nancy, that is hilarious-Pandora’s Box!! Would you believe this is the first short hair I have ever had? Not by choice but just happened that way. And though Spot would not have been my choice of names, what can you say to a grandchild!!

My new peonies did not bloom but are growing-one died during a late freeze-but I am hoping it might come back-what has been your experience with this? I hope your cool weather does not impact your early buds! What weather!!

Wonderful to see all the blooms especially the roses. But both pics of Spot is picture perfect. Would you believe it is snowing here? Not sure winter will ever end.

Julia

Wow! snow in may. Kate, that is a truly gorgeous rose.

kay

I love all your lovely blooming things, especially now with the shock of several inches of snow and temps in the 20's....but what puts a smile on my face is Spot.

She looks so content in the garden. Enjoy all those beautiful miracles of nature!

If Spot is a vole killer, she's definitely a keeper. She looks a lot like my Cowgirl, who has caught her share of mice in the house. My outdoor cats don't seem to hunt much anymore. Only the mother cat, Tuxie, still goes after voles and rabbits.

Debra