April prepares her green traffic light and the world thinks Go. 

~Christopher Morley

It happens every year. Things start changing so fast in the spring woods that I can’t quite keep up. There are also the chores associated with spring – fixing up stuff around the house, getting the garden prepped and planted, and so many others we all make for ourselves, too numerous to mention. But, it is what is speeding by outside my window that keeps me wanting to stop what I am doing and take note….spring is whooshing by and will soon be over and I will have missed something for gosh sakes. And that is probably the origin of the yard tour. I’m guessing it started one spring when I just felt it was all whizzing by without notice. So now, as often as possible, I take the camera or a notebook and slowly walk around the yard, observing what is occurring, taking note of what is blooming, stopping to watch something unusual and ponder. It is a good tradition, I think I’ll keep it. So, this is simply a yard tour post…things that I noticed this weekend, things whooshing by, but appreciated by a simple slow walk around the yard.

Things that keep me busy – moving topsoil and mulch (click photos to enlarge)

The vegetable garden is starting to take shape

The garden pool with blossoms from the nearby Red Buckeye tree scattered on the surface…the Spotted Salamander eggs have recently hatched

Green Frog claiming a spot at the pool

Pinxter Azalea in bloom – these grow scattered in the woods and along the banks of the nearby Haw River

Pinxter Azalea close up

Wild Blue Phlox

Wild Blue Phlox and Foamflower

Pawpaw from earlier last week

Fringe Tree flowers, one of my favorite native trees

False Solomon’s Seal is abundant inside the deer fence, absent outside of it

The same goes for Solomon’s Seal

Downy Arrowwood is blooming

One of the shade gardens with Wild Columbine, Mayapple, Giant Chickweed, and Foamflower, Toadshade Trillium, and Jacob’s Ladder

Deerberry, a wild blueberry

Dwarf Crested Iris, blue form

Dwarf Crested Iris, white form

Coral Honeysuckle, a hummingbird favorite

Wild Columbine, another great hummingbird plant

Eastern Chipmunk