In our moderate Sandhills climate we enjoy the early harbingers of Spring that begin to appear as early as February. Below is the old-fashioned shrub called First Breath of Spring. Its fragrance is to die for! Wish you could smell it. It is well past its peak now but we still pick up the scent when we go to the mailbox.
The maple trees I transplanted from the swamp years ago are flowering and will soon sprout their first leaves. And one nice thing about maples--I don't know anyone who's allergic to them! Eventually they become great for climbing and providing a cool summer shade. (Hmm. That's THREE nice things about maples).
The buds of the dogwoods are swelling. In a few short days they'll burst onstage and overshadow everything else. And that's a good thing! As some of our old giant oaks died, dogwoods, some planted by me, some by the birds, have proliferated. And we love them.
This red honeysuckle is another of my favorites. I first transplanted some that grew down in the woods in hopes of attracting hummingbirds. It was successful and birds have planted a new "colony" by our driveway. This is the first flower this year, with many more to come.
Below is the Flowering Quince, but it's known locally as hog-apple. It actually has a small fruit and I imagine hogs once fed on this low shrub.
These next two pictures are a lovely white flower that adorn our front yard and continue to spread.
Some of our red camellias turned out beautifully even after the poor timing of those last nights down in the teens a couple of weeks ago.
And where you have red camellias, the pink ones can't be far behind!
And where you have red and pink camellias a . . . a WHAT? An EASTER EGG TREE can't be far behind! And do you know what that means?
Soon little chocolate bunnies will be hatching everywhere around the Loyd house!
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