Coral Bells in the front and again I think the blue is the
Spanish Bells. Such a pretty combo and the Hummingbirds
enjoy those Coral Bells.

Aquilegia, the Columbine,
such a happy flower to see each spring.
Native Americans used to eat (and may still do so?)
small amounts of the flowers in springtime.
The flowers are reported to taste quite sweet but
we are also warned that the rest of the plant is toxic.
I for one will stick with admiring the beauty of the flowers
without eating them.

This tree grows between our fence and the fence
the city put up by the sidewalk.
It isn't a very big space but big enough for this tree
 and it's many babies.
Golden Chain tree is quite pretty when in bloom,
and the blooms are quite fragrant.

I am torn; I love trees and flowering trees are even better
but this flowering tree
produces lots and lots of seeds which
all want to grow in my flower bed!

Blueberry flowers, I can't think of a finer site!
That isn't really true but I'm loving the idea of being able
to pick a handful of blueberries from my own plants.

Native blackberry, trailing :Rubus ursinus.
It's nice to see this native showing up in our yard
as we try to rid ourselves of the Himalayan blackberry.
While the Himalayan is a heavy producer of the best tasting

blackberries, it also takes over the yard and everything else.

Native Red Elderberry, Sambucus racemosa
I love the native name for this plant, sounds exotic.
Most sources consider this a toxic plant,
although it is an important native species for wildlife
and birds.

Gerbera Daisy. Simply stunning colors, available
at stores all over the country. Easy to grow annual
for a sunny location.

While the Geranium seems to be rather common, it is
rather a pretty flower don't you think?
So easy to grow and the hummingbirds love them too!

I think this is a blue Centaurea, I am not
certain though.
The pink flower is Weigela.

Surprise! This yellow beauty is last falls purple/red cabbage.
I cut the cabbage but left the plant intact, this spring I am

rewarded with some lovely flowers. 

While this may not be the prettiest flower you've
ever seen I am happy to have seen it.
This is Miner's Lettuce, it has an important history
of feeding the California gold rush miners,
it was eaten to prevent scurvy.
I found this growing wild in Anacortes.

I couldn't decide between just one photo.
These tulips are just stunning.

It's too bad this is such a horrible weed.
Scotch Broom while pretty is an aggressively
spreading noxious weed, while taking over
the land it reduces the natural wildlife habitat.

In a yard full of blue Forget-Me-Not
suddenly a pink pops up on it's own.

While the Flowering Quince seems so common
and even wild although I am happy to have it.
I am not sure if it was even planted in my yard
by someone or if it just showed up.
If you happen to grow the Flowering Quince
and you happen to get fruit then you can make
jelly.

Such a common spring bulb that I'm not
sure what it is. There are the white,
blue and pink flowered ones in my yard
and they look to be related!
My best guess is this is a Spanish Bluebell.

A native plant, the Mayapple so named
for the small apple like fruit that doesn't
appear in May (the flower does though).
While the ripe fruit is edible in small amounts
the plant is otherwise poisonous.
A beautiful plant for the woodland plantings.

It's difficult to be upset with such a pretty weed.
The big box stores even sell a plant that is quite
similar to this weed (they may even be related!).

Iberis or Candytuft as it's better known as
is a spring flowering perennial whose flowers
can last until mid-summer.
Once you plant it nothing is required of you
except to enjoy it!

The Camellias provide the perfect
backdrop to these Tulips.

It is wonderful to have a variety of spring bulbs
blooming. The color combinations worked
out wonderfully.

Last fall I was able to plant some different bulbs.
This spring I am reaping the rewards.

Corkscrew Willow.
This is one of my favorite trees in our yard.
It started as a wee cutting and now it provides
beauty in our yard. 

This Bleeding Heart (dicentra) was planted
in memorial to our dog Cocoa Pebbles.
Each time I look at it, I remember what a
sweetheart she was.

Candytuft and yellow Tulip.

A happy planting.

My baby Japanese Maple.

It started out as seedling in someones yard.
Of course I snagged it instead of treating it
as a weed!
It's a beautiful addition to my yard.

Checkered Lily, Fritillaria, Chocolate Lily.
It doesn't matter what you call it
this native is a beauty.
The first time I saw it was growing native
at Washington Park in Anacortes, WA.
Simply wonderful.

What am I?

Down the street and around the corner in a wooded
area grows this vine/shrub plant.
In the spring it's covered in these yellow flowers.
A small cutting a few years ago is now
rewarding me with my own plant.
This is it's first full year in the ground
and it's first year to flower.
I see a little bee type bug has already found it.

Some great info regarding this plant can be found here.

My attempt to grow sweet peas! 

Last winter when I was planting tulip
bulbs it seemed a great idea
to plant some in a planting garden.

It was a great idea.
These tulips are in a bouquet in my kitchen.

It's lovely to have fresh cut flowers in the house.