~ Trenda
Adorably, lovely Robins, petaled tulip cups, white blossomed splays of Bridal Wreath, deep violet blooms flocking Redbud trees, lovely Hyacinths, Lady Banks Roses spilling over onto our lawn, and delicate white bells of Lily of the Valley. The list I started in my last blog of spring harbingers continues to lengthen as Spring here on Cedar Creek Lake appears to be in full bloom! Would you like to take a tour around our neighborhood and see all the spring beauty? Hop on our golf cart and let’s go! No need for jackets, it’s 80 degrees here, on this last day of February. (:
“Deep violet blooms flocking Redbud trees” … this beautiful tree is our own and drapes over our side gate.
This gorgeous white rosebush, the Lady Banks Rose is seen less often then the variety with yellow roses. My white Lady Banks is a cherished birthday present that Richard gave me a number of years ago and is … “spilling over onto our lawn.”
And one last sighting before we pull out of our driveway … this striking Chinese Fringe Plant or Loropetalum. We have quite a few of these beautiful evergreen bushes in our front and backyard and love the color of their foliage, their fragrance and the color of their fringe-y flowers. Interesting Note: Some of these bushes in their natural habitats … China, Japan, and the Himalayas are over 100 years old and over 35 feet tall!
All right, we’re off! First stop … The Secret Garden. The first time our daughter saw this forgotten garden she was only 9 years old. In excitement she breathlessly told me, “Mommy, I found the Secret Garden!” (: We’ve called it “The Secret Garden” ever since. ❤ These yellow roses rambling over a beautiful wrought iron fence are the more common variety of the Lady Banks Rose … and still reflect the hands that once planted and cared for them.
Gorgeous grape-like clusters of Wisteria dangle from the tangled vines within “The Secret Garden.”
No time to dally, the sun is already beginning it’s descent! Look at this darling little stream surrounded by “Easter grass” and a sprinkling of white wildflowers. It’s just the right size for a Daddy and Mama Mallard Duck we’ve seen paddling about in their own private wading pool! Spring cuteness! (:
I felt like I had been given a gift when I “captured” this shaft of sunlight peeking through the tangle of this thick wild Carolina Jasmine.
Look what I saw as our golf cart whizzed by! Lily of the Valley, also known as Muguet du Bois … one of my favorite little flowers with their dainty cups that look like they came straight from fairyland! I also love this enchanting flower because of the scripture in Song of Solomon 2:1 that says … “I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.” Another interesting fact: It is tradition in France on May 1st, May Day, to offer a sprig of Lily-of-the-Valley to loved ones. This tradition was supposed to have begun on May 1st, 1561 when King Charles IX of France was presented with a bunch of Lily-of-the-Valley flowers as a token of luck and prosperity for the coming year. King Charles “took a shine” to this idea and began the custom of presenting Lily-of-the-Valley flowers to the ladies of his court each year on May 1st. (:
Azalea Majestic’s bright magenta buds, blossoms and green foliage contrast beautifully with the texture of the rough landscaping bark.
Last sighting of our spring harbinger’s for the day … wild Carolina Jasmine overgrowing a fence looks beautiful in the golden sunset and under the still bare limbs of February trees.
It’s time to head home. Hope you are enjoying some beautiful weather where you are, even if it is only February! If you are still in the “throes of winter” … I hope these pictures will remind you that Spring is “right around the corner” and soon you will be seeing “adorably lovely Robins” showing off in your own backyard! (:
From my cottage to yours ~ Trenda
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Cottage Green on the Lake 