Orange

Yesterday, I saw my first hummingbird of the season sipping from the red hot pokers near the street. Of course I didn't have my camera.



The lantana I overwintered in the basement is blooming. The original planting did not survive the winter.



The Knockouts are taking a break while the ditch lilies do their thing. I was wondering what it would be like to have orange and pink/red blooms together in this space. I guess I don't have to worry about that now.



California poppies have been flopping all over. I've yet to see a flush of blooms on upright stalks. I'll let them reseed though I have yet to find a seed pod.



Cosmos are blooming here and there.



Joseph's Coat?



Rosa chinensis.



A ladybug. I've been seeing a lot of them this year. I've not sprayed for insects this year. I see a few issues with the roses and some blackspot. We'll see how it works out when the humidity and temperatures return this summer.



It's 63 degrees. More rain passed through overnight. The high today should reach the mid 70s.

Late start.

I'm getting a late start this morning, my day off. I spent the night in Charlotte at the home of two friends. As soon as I arrived, I noticed a few things.

There are more blue flower on the Mountain Bluet, wintersown in 2008.



The purple azalea I remember in the backyard next to the a/c unit isn't quite as purple as I recall.



The two year old tea olives are getting big.



Snowball viburnum is about to bloom.



A one year old cutting from Sharon's gardenia bush is growing again. Sharon passed away this past winter from cancer. Her husband still walks her little dog down the street. He says she loved to walk past my house last summer before the disease forced her to stay inside.



I finally have ladybugs. I also have lots of aphids.



And Brown Avenue is gone. At least for a few months.



I'm going to spend a few hours planting some containers out. I'm thinking of mowing the grass again, but it could wait a few more days. I need to transplant my tomato seedlings into individual cups. Their growth stunt may be caused by the nutrient starved seed starting medium. I don't want to lose this second batch. I have very few seeds left. I might even spend a few minutes getting reacquainted with the hammock. It's sunny and 64 degrees. The high today should reach the mid 70s, back to normal.

In other news, Dixie Carter passed away at age 70 last night. The lights have gone out in Georgia.