Trees

Anyone who knows me even a little bit knows I'm wild about flowers.

basket of gold (aurina) & rock cress

Money Plant

Candy Tuft

Grape Hyacinth

But what really gives my yard structure and presence this time of year are the trees.

After all winter long of seeing them stand out there like naked sticks, it's so nice to watch them put their leaves back on.

These are the trees I have in my back yard:
Maple, Japanese
Maple, Ginnala
Pine, Austrian
Quaking Aspen
Russian Olive Tree
Ornamental Plum

(plus a few more I have yet to identify)....

We also have some HUGE lilac bushes that look more like trees.  Same goes for our row of  snowball bushes.  They have been trained to grow like trees with a dominant trunk and big puffy tops.

When we were looking at houses two years ago while planning our move to Boise the presence or absence of mature trees was the deal breaker on a lot of places looked at.  We passed up on some drop dead gorgeous houses simply because they did not have any (or very few) established trees.  When we saw this place, I just KNEW it was the one.  The house is your basic late 70's ranch.  It certainly meets our needs.  But there is nothing particularly special about it.  That's ok with me.  Fancy houses are lovely, but are not really my style.   I'll trade in central vac and granite counter tops for a stand of mature trees any day of the week.

Pussy Willows

Front yard pussy willow - March 2012

When my next door neighbor noticed my pussy willow tree in the front yard all covered in buds she reminded me of the verse we used to sing as children:

I know a little pussy,
Her coat is silver grey,
She lives down in the meadow,
Not very far away.
Although she is a pussy,
She'll never be a cat,
For she's a pussy willow,
Now what do you think of that?

As for me, they remind me more of a favorite old tune by Gordon Lightfoot

(From the 1968 album Did She Mention My Name)

Pussywillows, Cat-Tails

Pussywillows, cat-tails, soft winds and roses
Rainbows in the woodland, water to my knees
Shivering, quivering, the warm breath of spring
Pussywillows, cat-tails, soft winds and roses

Catbirds and cornfields, daydreams together
Riding on the roadside the dust gets in your eyes
Reveling, disheveling, the summer nights can bring
Pussywillows, cat-tails, soft winds and roses

Slanted rays and colored days, stark blue horizons
Naked limbs and wheatbins, hazy afternoons
Voicing, rejoicing, the wine cups do bring
Pussywillows, cat-tails, soft winds and roses

Harsh nights and candlelights, woodfires a-blazin'
Soft lips and fingertips resting in my soul
Treasuring, remembering, the promise of spring
Pussywillows, cat-tails, soft winds and roses

Spring Time in Boise

Serpentine Cherry

Forsythia

Azalea

Pansies

Pulmonaria / Lungwort

Rock Cress

It is spring time in Boise, Idaho. 

It is an absolutely glorious time of year.  Everywhere I go I am discovering trees that just a few short weeks ago stood naked now covered is blossoms and new leaves.  Tulips, daffodils and hyacinths are bursting open in many neighborhood yards.  Spring is such a hopeful time of year.  It is a reminder of new beginnings.  I appreciate the longer days, and leaving my coat in the closet.


I decided that this year I'd start a new blog to document my gardens.  I'm planning to use this to map out what I have growing where and to track when things appear.  During the quiet times in my yard after everything has been put to bed in the fall it is easy to forget the profusion of color I was blessed with over spring and summer.  Also, when I go to put in bulbs or think about buying new plants it will help to remind myself how full my beds are this time of year.


Gardens are a lot like life.  There are times of abundance and times when all I can see is bare dirt.  Every season has its purpose.  I want to learn to be more grateful for the changing ebb and flow of growing and quiet, in my garden and in my life.  Still, I can't help but favoring springtime.  Each new opening flower or sprouting fern I discover on my daily walks through my back yard pathways just makes my heart sing.

(All photos this post taken April 4)