May Day

The month of April has come and gone and tomorrow is May Day. I realize the children in this picture aren't dancing around a May Pole, but admit it; how many of us have a May pole in the neighborhood. I am so amazed that we didn't have any snow here in Stillwater this month. I know that there were others that did, Jeff sent me a picture text from Lori and Steve's in Elkhart Lake on April 8th.

Jeff is going to work awhile in the morning of May Day and then joining Vickie and Ridley at the zoo. My ankle still isn't feeling 100% so it is probably best that I stay off it a little more so it feels better next week. I have some work to catch up on before Monday and a quiet surroundings will make it go a bit faster. I am looking forward to some great pictures from the zoo.

Have a Great May Day weekend and Good Spring.

New for the spring

Arisaema sikokianum, a Japanese species. The starting white "golf ball" spadix is displayed inside the purple spathe. It is inside a chicken wire cage to keep the squirrels from digging it up like they did the last one we planted in the garden. There are quite a few Arisaema triphyllum, the common Jack in the Pulpit. We have a few Trillium in flower also, but unfortunately they don't spread as quickly as the Jacks. I love the unusual plants. Which leads me to the happy announcement that this is the opening weekend of the "New" Funkie Garden. It was in Prescott Wis., a long 25 drive and is now going to be a mere 12 miles north in Marine on St. Croix! : )

While I was cleaning up a spring garden of ornaments grasses I can across this Mallard nest. It's right by the front door of a very busy building and I was concerned that the mother may abandon the nest if it was too exposed so I left a tuft of grass banked up in front of the nest to act as a sort of blind. Last week when we were back at that garden, the mother duck was sitting on the nest. I felt relief.

We are actually getting some rain today. We sure need it! There is a family of squirrels making a nest and home in the spruce tree right off our patio. It feels that there must be seeds hidden in the flower pots that I just filled with Pansy's; and I come home to find my Pansy's on the ground and big holes dug in the dirt.

The rabbits sure like the fresh new growth of the hostas and few other plants coming up in the garden. I picked up a bag of Milorginite and lightly spread it though out the garden to repel the little bastards. I recently heard another gardener talking about the 10 baby bunny's that she counted rumping in her gardener. Errrrrrr

Spring flowers

On Easter morning Paula and Barret joined Char Jeff and I for Brunch. The quiche was good and the company even better. Jeff took them out for a ride in the Preus and let them drive it. The weather was pretty nice for April 3rd.

Char was here for a long weekend and even though she wasn't feeling her best; it was nice having her around.

We stocked Ridley up on 'bubbles' for Easter. He has a selection of different types of wonds and a drum of bubble juice. We enjoy making bubbles.

Dinner of ham and cheesy potatos and Uncle Bill joined us; as well as our friend Laura. It was anouther wonderful Sunday Holiday.

Primrose

Blood root

Lenten Rose

Heather

I picked the first bunch of daffodils on Easter Sunday. I lost my calendar with the last computer I had before, but I am thinking that this is early for all these flowers. There have been gardens that I have visited this week there the peony is budding out and there are blooms forming on the Bleeding Hearts! I have put in my first week back to work and I haven't gotten any younger; imagine that!

April Showers

What a great spring day....
The birds are sing and I managed to get most of the garden cleaned up and even got the Preen down in hopes of slowing down the germination of billions of little Maple seedlings. I know there are still going to be some weeds; but it really does help.