Almost Instant Gratification

 Last fall we cut down a Sweet Gum tree in the back yard and replaced it with a Kwanzan Cherry tree.  Sometimes you have to wait years for flowers when to bloom when planting new trees.  This one surprised us with flowers this month.  They are putting on a beautiful show and hopefully it is a foreshadowing of the years to come.  The tree seems to be very healthy and happy in it's new location.

Tulip Decapitated

 We only have two tulips left in the yard because they are juicy targets for some of the critters with whom we share our yard.  I don't know who chopped this tulip as it was done with surgical precision.  The stem was still standing tall and the flower was laying on the ground cut off just under the flower.  It did give me a good opportunity to take a picture of the beauty of this flower.

Saucer Magnolia Pictures

 Our two new Saucer Magnolia trees we planted in the new planting area out front started blooming this week.  The flowers are beautiful and the green leaves are just starting to appear.  I hope the flowers continue to multiple as the trees grow larger in the future.The green fencing is to protect these young plants from the deer. 

Owl Hunting 2

 Of course I'm not sure if this is the same Owl since we have so many in the woods around our house but here he is again.  The camera caught him sitting on top of the lamp right next to the pond.  With spring, we have a large number of frogs and the Goldfish are waking up so the Owl has a buffet available just 7 feet below his perch.  Last night we saw a Bullfrog sitting in the pond.  It is amazing how big he is compared to all the other frogs and toads we have in the pond.

Owl Hunting

 Here's one of our neighborhood Owls sitting in one of the Crape Myrtle trees near the pond.  I suspect this guy is looking for frogs as he looks left and right from his perch in the tree.  Some nights we hear a bunch of Owls talking back and forth as if carrying on a conversation.

Pineapple and Front Yard Update

When I last discussed our pineapple in October, we had moved it inside for the winter.  It continues to grow like gangbusters.  The fruit is now 5 inches tall and the leave even taller.  We will keep this beautiful specimen in the house for safety.  The front yard makeover is moving along.  We have a new planting area all set with two Saucer Magnolias and six Yuccas.  We fenced them to protect them from all the neighborhood deer so they can get a good start. This makeover was prompted by the removal of the 100 foot Beach tree in the middle of the front yard.