Although the official first day of Spring was three weeks ago here at Round The Bend it continues to branch out all over. After snow on Monday and Tuesday it is again warming up and the trees
are budding out rather quickly. Today part of our lawn - the side on the warm side of the house - got mowed for the first time. As I sit with the sliding glass doors open I can feel a breeze that is neither warm nor too cold and carries the smell of new mown grass. I love the smell. Glancing out at
the fresh cut lawn the green is vibrant where just last week only shoots of green were peeking through the dry brown landscape. My Bradford Pear tree still has blooms but my neighbor's tree that bloomed just a little sooner has lost most of its white blossoms and is leafing out quickly.
The finch are continuing to take all they can get from the feeders. They are beginning to lose most of their molten look and are becoming a more vibrant yellow. On drab days I can pick them out in the branches where they sit and patiently wait their turn to eat.
The Red Leafed Plum tree lost most of its blooms to the wind and snow earlier in the week. Soon a tree of lush red leaves will grace the front yard landscape.
The 'matchstick' buds of the Verbena are slowly bursting into bloom.
The Wisteria buds are beginning to get fuzzy - at least those in the sunshine. As a surveyed the branches I found a leaf somehow how gotten caught between the branches and formed this little hood over one of the stems and kept it warm all winter.
As I finish typing I can hear thunder rolling in the distance. Little warmer temperatures tomorrow and a little more ran and I bet I'll find spring branching out in other directions as well.
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The end reflection framed and ready for posting.
No, I wasn't looking out a partly cloudy window.
It was a puddle on the deck that was reflecting the wistera vines twining around the pergola overhead - Pergola In The Puddle, by Carletta.
Swing the gate open
Although the official first day of Spring was three weeks ago here at Round The Bend it continues to branch out all over. After snow on Monday and Tuesday it is again warming up and the trees
the fresh cut lawn the green is vibrant where just last week only shoots of green were peeking through the dry brown landscape. My Bradford Pear tree still has blooms but my neighbor's tree that bloomed just a little sooner has lost most of its white blossoms and is leafing out quickly. 
Luiz invited us to post something about Christmas. I hope you enjoy an ornament from my tree. 
My entry for Today's Flowers is a little different. Winter has taken all the beautiful blooms from my garden. Today I am showing you what is left on my Wisteria vines. Wisteria is a member of the Pea family, Fabaceae. Most of us know it as a climbing vine, with purple, and sometimes white, flowers in the early spring. Less noticeable, at least from a distance, are the seed pods that form afterwards. These pods are very soft and velvety, and get to be about 8-10" or longer. The pods are filled with smooth round brown seeds. A few things to bear in mind about these seeds: first, they're poisonous; second, they, the pods and the leaves do create a bit of garden litter; and third, fresh wisteria seed sprouts readily, but vines grown from seed, as opposed to grafted plants, sometimes take upwards of seven to ten years to bloom.
Silhouetted Against A Brilliant Winter Sky
Dangling From The Vines
