Garden work

It's a joy to be out in the garden these days.  Spring was slow in coming, even down south, and April was a wet month.  However, our azaleas are more full this year than they've been in a while and I'm wondering if the cooler, wetter, later spring had something to do with that.  A four year old who visited us on Sunday remarked to his mom as he walked down our front walkway, "These flowers are gorgeous!"  And he's right, they really have been so full and lovely this year.  The different azalea colors and cultivars bloom at slightly different times, so the pink ones by the drive were in full flush just in time for Easter pictures. (sorry I'm a little late posting them here).

Thomas and Kay's baby boy, showing himself a little more these days.

Isn't my d-i-l lovely and spunky and fun!

Those pink azaleas (in the background) are fading a bit now, but the rhododendrons (just behind Coty's shoulder) are following close on.  The Pinckney cultivar (yes, that it's real name.  I bought it at a Rhododendron society auction shortly after we moved here) is lovely ...

and the other purple rhododendrons that were here when we came, are starting to open.

I'm thinking of adding some more of these beauties, or perhaps mountain laurels (which are NC natives), to the back garden, which continues to be a work in progress.

The mock orange is just coming into flower now...

and the peonies ...

and where there are peonies, there will be ants!  They love 'em.