Elephant Ears Emerge

 I was worried that the brutal winter would kill our Elephant Ear plants but they are coming back.  It looks like they won't be any worse from the very cold temperatures.  We'll see if they get as large as past years and then we'll know there isn't any lingering damage.

Second Clematis Blooms

 Another Clematis is producing beautiful flowers in the backyard.  This one is growing on a tomato cage and has large flowers flowing down the sides of the cage.  This plant is one we moved a number of years ago and it is thriving.

Louisiana Iris Blooms

 Our Louisiana Iris plants are blooming nicely in the pond.  Unlike the Walking Iris these blooms last more than a few hours.  Last week our dog was hunting something in the pond and broke off two flower stalks.  We rescued them and put them in vase in the house.  They proceeded to provide beautiful blooms for a week so no total loss.

Walking Iris Flowers

 Over 20 years ago we were given a couple of Walking Iris and they have multiplied over and over again.  We did loose some plants during the very cold winter but many others survived and are thriving.  The first picture shows a plant in the morning with 5 closed white flowers.  The second shows the flowers at noon opening to show the beautiful purple petals inside the white petals.  Then by late afternoon, the flowers close up and the blooms fade.

Yucca Flower Coming Soon

 10 days ago we noticed our largest Yucca in the front yard was producing a flower stalk.  This is very rewarding since it was just last spring we transplanted this Yucca into this location.  The Yucca took to the new location and has continued to grow.  Soon we should have a nice flower to enjoy.

Tiny Pine Tree

 Here are a couple of pictures of a small pine tree.  We got this tree as a promo about three years ago and have been growing it in a pot since then.  I decided it was time to plant it in the yard so we selected a spot near the fence for it to grow.  It looks happier all ready.

Pawpaw Fruit

 Last year we bought a Pawpaw tree for the front yard and then found we had a bunch of them along the back fence.  This year my wife has been helping Mother Nature pollinate the flowers on some of those trees and we have a tiny fruit starting.  She used a tiny paint brush to move pollen from the male flower to the female flower. We're keeping our fingers crossed that the fruit will continue to grow.  Below is one of our Clematis plants showing off a bunch of huge flowers.

Giant Bullfrog

 Last week we were wandering around the ponds and sitting in both ponds was a giant Bullfrog.  They didn't wait for me to get a camera so I could take a picture. Yesterday they were posing again and one did wait long enough for me to get  a picture.  Here he waited while I took both a side shot and a front shot.  He was one big frog.

Interesting New Plant

 The first picture is of Columbine flowers.  We purchased one of these plants a number of years ago and now the beautiful plants have spread by themselves and by us spreading seeds.  The second is a mystery plant that we found in one spot in the back yard.  It is like a multi story plant with a thin stem from the ground to the first set of seven leaves and then another stem 5 inches to 3 more leaves topped by some buds.  We have only found this plant in one location.

Bumper Crop of Tadpoles

 All the spring parties the frogs and toads enjoyed have paid off with a bumper crop of tadpoles.  The first picture shows a massive blob of tadpoles between the rock and the side of the pond.  The second is a bunch surrounding another rock further out in to pond.  When critters grow up we should have an abundance of tiny frogs joining the neighborhood.