A Colorful Walk

Don't you just love Spring!  After a dull, grey, rainy winter, it seems the switch has been turned.  Mid-80's in the afternoons, sunshine and bright green growth on most every tree (except pecan trees).  Some days, Tricia and I take a stroll in the yard and just enjoy the beauty of God's creation.

We have a little concrete bench by the big old live oak tree.  We sit here and read the mail when the weather is nice.  The entire area around it is engulfed in wild African violets.  I'll put off mowing until they're finished blooming as they are nice to look at.

In total contrast with the rich green and vibrant violet colors, I was walking through a portion of the garden where I'm saving broccoli seed and waiting for the pods to dry out and turn brown.  The broccoli plants are almost dead and the big brown leaves of the broccoli cover the ground.  In the midst of the drab color, there's a spark of red.  A ladybug!

Ladybugs are beneficial insects in the garden.  I like them in the garden as they eat aphids and other small insects.  As a guy, I feel sorry for the male ladybugs, though.  As a bug that was a dude, it would bother me to be a 'ladybug.'

I have beets growing in the garden at all different stages.  The photo below shows Detroit Red beets in front and Bull's Blood beets in the back.

On the very next row is Rainbow Swiss Chard.  The stalks are brightly colored, as the name suggests - some pink, others white, and others yellow.  We had swiss chard and buckwheat as a tasty side dish tonight.

And speaking of brightly colored things, it's azalea time!  Twenty five years ago we lived in Kinder, LA, in the home that was my grandmother and grandfather's home at one time.  When we moved to our home here, my sister and brother-in-law moved in and took out the azaleas.  We were able to get some of them and replant them in the yard.  One of them survived.  I think they are Formosa Azaleas.

Each year at this time, it fills with beautiful blooms and we get lots of photos of it.  I've often said, it is nice to have plants with a history.  Plants that remind you of people you love and times you cherish.

In addition to being pretty, the plant serves a purpose.  We have one of those ugly telephone markers.  You've seen them.  I think they call them bollards, but they are filled with wires.  It's just not something that you want as the centerpiece of your front yard.  Well, we planted my grandma's azalea in front of it and now... voila!  No more telephone obstacle in the front yard (that you can see, anyway.)

There must be an animal that hides out in the foliage, though.  Everytime Belle passes by the azalea, she sniffs and is real curious.

I hope you are enjoying spring as much as we are!