Tulips On Parade/First Broccoli & Strawberry

Its been a beautiful week in Philly. Not too hot, sunny, and blooms every where from cherry blossoms, dog woods, magnolias, weeping cherries, azaleas, and an array of other trees whose names I'm not familiar with. The yearly chase was on this afternoon in the yard and I couldn't be running from bees today who were also enjoying all the blooms. The black carpenter bees are back in my neighbors yard this year but enjoying flying around mine as if they own the yard and I have no right to be out there. I've been out sick this week from work spending lots of time in bed. This is unusual for me but I had no other choice. So today still close to home I went out front and in the yard to see the blooms. 

I notice a new patch of orange tulips newly emerged and some red ones from last year out front. It's nice to enjoy them at their peak because soon heads will be falling off as they prepare to store up energy for next fall if perennial. My biggest surprise. One broccoli is making a head. There are 8 or 9 plants but this is the only one heading up. I hope I get a full head. That would be nice. Lets wait and see. White butterflies have also been fluttering around the yard so when I went out I took my dust for the broccoli and also sprinkled some on the hosta because slugs love them. I also sprinkled some on my rose because last year they completely ate every leaf. Normally it's bothered by black spot disease but not last year. It was destroyed by slugs.

I don't know what this is. Maybe the voodoo lily survived or maybe a different type of allium. Surprise me. It's definitely not a tulip and alliums have round heads.

The grape hyacinths don't look good this year. It took 2 years to develop a nice patch and they were a pretty cluster last spring. Wonder what happened to them. I guess they either died or squirrels ate them.

Didn't think these would do anything. I may get some small orange ballerina tulips after all.

Can you see the broccoli head?

Am I supposed to cut off the new strawberry and plant it? I guess I'd better do some reading.

Lets see how this fern does. It's not planted in the container just sitting.

Last years canna, caladium, elephant's ear, and ornamental sweet potato vine.

I'm going to soak them in water first before planting.

Clematis

Not The Tulip Display I Envisioned

Many tulips planted in the fall were eaten by squirrels. The one's remaining did not put on the display I expected. Some are very short with small heads and the red ones not bright but have more pink coloration. I had orange lily flowering tulips in the planters on the step. Today when I went outside squirrels had still been digging and eating. No bulbs came up in one planter. I dug up the remaining bulbs left, mostly daffodils. In spite of drainage holes in the container, they were soft and mushy. A new guinea impatient was put in their place. Tiny headed tulips are above ground in one planter but I don't think they'll do anything. This will be my last year planting tulips in them. Next spring I'll buy tulip plants to put in them. No fuss or worry about bulbs being eaten or rotting. 

Spring bulbs are putting on a show all over the city. I love to drive by homes and see their display and how pretty yards are. It's a beautiful time of year. Last years dead shrubs were removed from one window box and trashed. Haven't decided what I want to plant in the yet. It hasn't been easy to find an evergreen that will survive in them during the winter. I removed the spent spring bulbs from the planter and replaced it with impatiens also. The little shrub in the planter is putting on new grow. I'm glad because it looked beat up by winter.

A weed will survive. I pull that dandelion up every year. I guess I should did out the root.