Spring has Sprung in my Yard

The grass is finally turning green again with the rain and sunshine warming the days. The whipping winds have turned down a notch and have become gentle breezes.  I have been able to go outside in shorts and sandles. Locating or buying more SPF is also a necessity too.  I tried taking a picture of my bare feet in the grass, but quickly deleated it when I noticed my toes were not painted.  I love pictures of toes in the sand or in the grass. No particular reason just find it kinda relaxing. I do not like shoes and would go barefoot all year long if my feet didn't get cold.  So as soon as I get those toes painted, I will be sure to take a picture of them and get them up here for you.
This is a honey bee at my blueberry flowers.
He is doing his work and pollenating my eight blueberry bushes.  I have added a pear tree to the mix too, I think he already took care of that one the other day, but I forgot to ask him.  Every year when the orange  trees go into bloosom the honey bees swarm with excitment.
 I sneeze.
There is a window ledge in the front of my house that the bees come visit every year. In and out under the ledge for about 24 hours. Then as quickly as they have found a way in, they are gone again. I thought I had a hive in there, but I don't think I do. I spoke with a bee keeper and if they had a live active hive, they would be there much longer than 24 hours. However she did suggest that at one time there could have been, and they keep returning to the site. If I spot them this year, I will snap a few photos of them.

I have added lots of new compost to the beds this year.  Here are my baby green bean plants. I have arranged the trellis so that I can walk in between them to pick beans easily. The plants grow over six foot tall and produce beans for at least two months. I always have way more green beans than we can eat each year.   Last year I steamed them quickly and then froze them. They tasted horrible and I had to throw them away. I am not keen on canning them. This year I am trying a different variety of bean. I know your suppose to steam/blanch your veggies before you freeze them because it has to destroy a certain enzyme that will not hold up under freezing and turns the veggies into mush. I have homework to do on this subject. A few other veggies that I have planted are: tomatoes, yellow squash, eggplant and lots of broccoli. We love broccoli.   Anyways I always try to share my bounty with others because everyone loves fresh veggies.

Red Maple in my front yard.
 Every year I am sure these two Red Maples are just going to give up and call it quits. They love moisture and my ground is dry. They are at the bottom of the hill near the road by the driveway. I was hoping for big shady showy trees. What I have a stunted little sticks in the ground that have a few leaves.  We are thinking of building a retaining wall, with landscaped rock and lots of flowers.  Then putting in a gate for the driveway. We would love to have some great big heavy Florida natural stones but you have to have them delivered with a crane. For now its just grass and Red Maple twigs. They are very pretty in the spring when they bloom.

Can't even begin to spell this or pronouce it.  I have four of them in my front landscape bed at the front of the walkway. When the leaves all turn green, you trim the bush back and they all turn this beautiful crimsom color. In the spring, it shows all over with this pretty flower. Truely this plant is in bloom all year long either with its leaves or flowers. I love it. I just can't pronounce it. Ok, this is Girl Schmuk signing off.

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