Thank goodness April showers do indeed bring May flowers. It really feels like spring here today and my yard is fully perfumed with the scent of what seems to be a prodigious amount of lilac blooms this year. I have lilac trees lining my driveway and on two corners of my house. The trees seems to have outdone themselves this year. I take a deep breath every time I step out my front door:
My actual azalea (as opposed to my “rhodo-azalea”) is now blooming…
…as well as the very beginning of lilies of the valley:
While I scoured the yard investigating what might be in bloom, I found these along the edge of my neighbor’s and my property, along with a fat, fuzzy, bumble bee:
Anyone know what these tiny blooms could be ?
The bleeding hearts continue growing and blooming steadily, and I couldn’t resist the pretty light on this stem:
Coming soon….
peonies! Love me some peonies.
Hope spring is busting out where you are too!
Karma's When I Feel Like It Blog 
There is a lilac bush at our new house. It only got two blooms on it this year — complete disappointment. We’re not sure when it was planted, but either 2009 or 2010. It is in full-sun. Do lilacs take a few years to get a lot of blooms? If not, I’m thinking it needs some help.
Comment by Andrea — May 12, 2011 @ 9:07 pm |
I think lilacs do need a few years to get going. My trees have been there a long time. My mom always said about perennials, “year 1 they sleep, year 2 they creep, year 3 they leap!” So I’d give ’em at least another year.
Comment by Karma — May 13, 2011 @ 8:27 pm |
Beautiful blooms! And you found lily of the valley! I’ll have to go in search of them in my yard. I took shots of my lilac today too and love to be greeted by their scent each time I leave the house. The plant the bee is enjoying looks an awful like something in the mint family.
Comment by Becky Sue — May 12, 2011 @ 9:54 pm |
Thanks Becky. You are right on those little blooms; I think they do have square stems like the mint family.
Comment by Karma — May 13, 2011 @ 8:30 pm |
We a bit behind you, but my bleeding heart is quite like yours!
Comment by Dawn — May 13, 2011 @ 6:45 am |
Gotta love those little hearts, doncha?
Comment by Karma — May 13, 2011 @ 8:31 pm |
I know what April showers bring but don’t you think Mother Nature went a bit overboard this year? 🙂
My town is full of blooming trees, flowers and bushes right now too. It is a great time to be alive!
Comment by Scott Thomas Photography — May 13, 2011 @ 9:16 am |
I think Mama N may have been making up for our outrageously beautiful spring last year. I just love this time of year!
Comment by Karma — May 13, 2011 @ 8:33 pm |
I love the lily of the valley shot! Fab bokeh. You know those lilacs you gave me? They still haven’t bloomed. What has it been, maybe 4 years now?? I think Larry might have mowed them down once by accident, that probably didn’t help. Anyway, remember one of them had a lily of the valley attached? Well, that blooms every year!
Comment by JenniferA — May 13, 2011 @ 11:15 am |
Thanks! You can come take some new shoots if you want! I’ve still got tons.
Did the lily o’valley spread at all or just stay as one little shoot?
Comment by Karma — May 13, 2011 @ 8:37 pm |
Just the one shoot! The lilacs finally seem to be getting bigger. Maybe I’ll get some flowers next year.
Comment by JenniferA — May 13, 2011 @ 9:21 pm
I can almost smell those lilacs (and actually found myself taking a deep breath when I saw them…lol!). Your flowers are beautiful. Spring has really made a big appearance this year. It’s the least we deserve after having to wait so long for it. 🙂
Comment by Robin — May 13, 2011 @ 12:56 pm |
Thank you Robin. Maybe we are getting robust flowers to make up for the piles of snow we had to endure!
Comment by Karma — May 13, 2011 @ 8:39 pm |
Oooh, can’t wait to see what peony photos you get with your new camera!
Comment by renae — May 13, 2011 @ 9:06 pm |
Too bad it won’t be forty freakin’ peonies that I’ll get photos of! 😉
Comment by Karma — May 14, 2011 @ 2:20 pm |
Love lilacs, love your photos! We’re behind you, no blooms yet, but my lilac buds are getting fatter by the day, and look quite abundant too, and the earliest peonies are budding. Could that be a member of the cat mint family (Nepeta)or yes, perhaps some other mint.
Comment by Carol — May 14, 2011 @ 2:35 pm |
Thank you Carol! I keep meaning to go back to those little flowers and rub the stems and see if they have a minty smell – or I suppose I could just ask the neighbor as it appears she may have planted them!
Comment by Karma — May 15, 2011 @ 9:13 am |
You sure do have quite the selection in your yard… unlike mine… I just go round stealing shots of everyone elses… lol… Real nice collection of shots K… 🙂
Comment by FS Photography — May 15, 2011 @ 1:53 pm |
Thanks Brian, but this is only the tip of the iceberg. I’m a bit of a hobby gardener, so I’m always trying new plants and flowers. This year I am even planting something to specifically attract hummingbirds. Do you have those in England? Would that be a fair bonus shot for the photo hunt next month?
Comment by Karma — May 15, 2011 @ 2:51 pm |
LOL… No we don’t have hummers either… I could do you a nice sparrow though, or maybe even a blue tit… or a crow, or jackal, or blackbird.. lol… or even a pigeon… 😉
Comment by FS Photography — May 15, 2011 @ 3:45 pm
Beautiful blooms!! 🙂
Comment by Photo By Holly — May 16, 2011 @ 9:59 am |
Thanks Holly!
Comment by Karma — May 16, 2011 @ 3:47 pm |
LOVE the lily-of-the-valley shot. Those are not easy blooms to shoot! I have tried and never ended up with anything I liked. Well done!
Comment by milkayphoto — May 16, 2011 @ 10:23 am |
Thanks so much, Tracy! That’s quite a compliment coming from you! I did shoot them during “the golden hour” on the west side of my house, so that may have helped this shot.
Comment by Karma — May 16, 2011 @ 3:51 pm |
Beautiful!! All of them!
Comment by thedailyclick — May 17, 2011 @ 11:14 am |
Comment by Karma — May 19, 2011 @ 5:42 pm |
Gorgeous! Particularly the lilac. We’ve got a white one at the front of our house, but I prefer lilac lilac… my mum had one, really tall, and I often think of that one. 🙂
Comment by Val — May 18, 2011 @ 7:19 pm |
Thanks Val! Nice of you to stop by!
Comment by Karma — May 19, 2011 @ 5:40 pm |
Ton printemps est magnifique ! J´aime aussi les lilas, le nôtre est violet, sa floraison est terminée mais quelle merveille. J´aime les muguets aussi. Did you receive some on May 1st ? Tradition over here. Merci pour ces belles images.
Comment by isathreadsoflife — May 23, 2011 @ 4:25 pm |
Merci, Isa. Je n’ai pas reçu de fleurs le 1er mai, mais j’ai obtenu certains pour la Fête des Mères.
Comment by Karma — May 23, 2011 @ 5:34 pm |
[…] help but feel she was making up for it with an absolute bounty of beauty this spring. Remember all those wonderful lilacs I showed you? Now in bountiful bloom I’m enjoying both my rhododendron and my irises; I […]
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