April in The Yard

I haven't posted in a while, but I'm still here. I took these pictures in the yard sometime in April. I'll show you later what the yard is doing now. Not much. The canopy arrived and spring ephemerals returned to sleep. Philadelphia had lots of rain in March and April but now we're in a drought. Plants are begging for water. Many song birds have kept my yard as home this spring and come throughout the day to eat from the bird feeder and drink fresh water for the bird bath. Grey eyed juncos finally migrated to where ever they spend the summer but hopefully they'll return this fall. Blue jays, cardinals, sparrows, finches, robins, and doves keep me entertained.

Impatiens the new Beacon ones that supposedly don't get powdery mildew. The squirrels won't leave them alone digging for I don't know what. I love wild life but it's my mission after work to get a large container of cayenne pepper. The oak leaf hydrangeas that have formed blooms as of May may not survive if they discover or like the blooms. They've dug and kicked out so much soil I'll have to top off some of my containers where they're planted.

No blooms from narcissus and camassia only developed leaves because I didn't leave the foliage to feed the bulbs last spring. So I have to wait until next spring to see them. Hopefully they'll return. Until then I'll have to deal with the foliage until it browns and I can clean up the area.

My stick which fell from the tree canopy acts as a sitting place for my birds. Love to see them perch on it.

The green plants are aster that do well in shade. This fall we'll see. I planted them in a container for now. My ground is getting progressively worse from tree roots that it's almost impossible to dig and plant anything in the ground and then only the strong survive. Burnnera seems to have taken on that challenge well so far.

Dappled Shade. I have no choice but to embrace it but I've come to enjoy a woodland setting in the city.

Have to clean out my bird feeders.

Oak leaf hydrangea planted last fall. It's much larger now in May and has buds forming. They're beautiful in fall with red foliage. Finally I've found hydrangeas that embrace and live in the shad in my yard.

Brunnera returned but don't know why it didn't bloom this spring. I missed the blue forget me not like flowers that it send out.

A native sedge and some lilies that aren't getting enough sun. I'll find a spot for them by next spring.

Another brunnera that came in a 2" pot last spring returned. The fern is autumn fern. We've had varied weather this spring and hardy cyclamen and native ginger came up and disappeared.

Native phlox in the flower bed with the brunnera did not bloom as the brunnera but phlox in another bed did. Maybe the tree roots had something to do with it.

Two hyacinthoides returned.

I believe it's a Annabelle hydrangea and by May has grown and is starting to make buds. Bought last fall from Bloom Box.

Dappled shade can be beautiful.

I've been saving twigs that fall from the Norway Maple tree canopy to make something.

Last Sunday I cleaned out 1 container and planted 6 Swiss chard. On Monday they were dug up and shredded by you know who. Raccoons or squirrels. Should have left the wire on until they got up to some size.

Dicentra