Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Up and down the road - May 7

Here are a few of the spring delights I saw as I walked down to Margaret and Matt's (see The Making of a Home under Letter Topics) house, and then back up the hill again.

A new crop of violets has popped up alongside the road, where the plow and grader have stirred up the soil. As they say, 'nature abhors a vacuum.' The minute a tree or bush is cut down, something begins growing in its place.


Serviceberry or shad blossoms softening the sign. Tom did a little post about this plant five years ago - here


One of Tom's first retirement jobs is to cut down the fir and pine beside the stone walls which line the road. This will open up pasture views, and allow for some deciduous trees to grow up.



Along with goutweed, this d*&% highly invasive Japanese barberry is the bane of my gardening existence. 


The sugar maple is so beautiful as it leafs out.


Plum, plum, crabapple, sugar maple. Ah spring!


The plum blossom is the sweetest fragrance I've ever smelled.


25 comments:

  1. Happy Spring Nan. I can almost smell that plum.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, there's nothing like it. The second one has blossomed now.

      Delete
  2. I would like to smell the plum blossom. Isn't the new green of the sugar maples wonderful? We have three that make an umbrella over our backyard and I adore them at each stage of the year. In fact, I'm pretty much obsessed with them.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Years ago, when Tom and I lived in the house I grew up in, we'd take walks around the neighborhood, and there was a blossoming tree that I had never smelled before. Since then I found it was a plum, and we bought two. I just wish their particular season was longer.

      Delete
  3. The picture with your house in the back and all the tender spring green and white flowers against the backdrop of this incredibly blue sky is so beautiful, Nan!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The weather has been particularly wonderful and photogenic!

      Delete
  4. Thank you for taking us on this walk. Plum blossoms are exquisite.

    A couple of weeks back, I went to the NY Botanical Garden, and spent hours among hills of daffodils, and cherry blossoms, and magnolia blossoms that were in full bloom, and I just felt so light and happy.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There's a Coffeehouse Mystery book which takes place partially there (I think), and I loved reading about it. I think I may have seen a Martha Stewart show that visited, too.
      Lucky you - it must have been wonderful.

      Delete
  5. Hi Nan: Isn't spring wonderful, it is the season for new beginnings. Happy spring my friend.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I love your wide spaces, so different from my little garden crammed with as many plants as I can get in. Spring has definitely arrived at last and isn't it wonderful?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Most of our 247 acres are woods. Mostly I show the open areas here on the blog. :<) I'd love more 'Yorkshire' like expanses.

      Delete
  7. Your daffodil header is luscious, Nan! Isn't it simple exquisite to be part of Spring's emergence?
    In these parts, garlic mustard is our bane. Well, that and creeping charlie. Sigh.
    Thanks for the walk.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I was so pleased. Usually I cannot capture yellow. I've not heard of garlic mustard or creeping charlie. I'll look them up.

      Delete
  8. I loved your walk Nan. My garden is full of violets too, so welcome after the long winter. Beautiful pictures from your Spring collection.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love the way they come up in poor soil. A little gift. And thank you.

      Delete
  9. Lovely Nan, the daffodil jumps right out and grabs you! your blog is very large in my browser now I wonder why?

    ReplyDelete
  10. What a great idea - to snap photos along your way. Thanks for allowing us to "walk" with you. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Such a glorious spring day! I remember reading (and loving) your posts about your kids" building their beautiful home....

    ReplyDelete
  12. I love that photo of your house with all of the trees in the foreground. The plum blossoms look a lot like my neighbor's crab apple. Gorgeous!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Your neighbor's crab is spectacular! We have an old one out back that is big, but needs the dead branches trimmed. Such a beautiful time of year.

      Delete

I'll answer your comments as soon as I possibly can. Please do come back if you've asked a question.
Also, you may comment on any post, no matter how old, and I will see it.