Old Friends

Pale Pink Magnolia stellata

I wandered around the garden Sunday afternoon just poking about to see what was blooming and what might not have survived the winter.  Much to my surprise, everything looks amazingly good.  Especially the weeds, so there is work to be done!

The Magnolia stellata is putting on an especially impressive show this year.  The buds are pink and then open into shaggy, pale pink blossoms that gradually turn white. 

Lonicera fragrantissima: Winter Blooming Bush Honeysuckle

The old-fashioned winter blooming honeysuckle looks a bit ragged, but it's so supremely, overpoweringly fragrant that I can forgive its unkempt appearance.  My neighbor says that she enjoys its delicate, but far-reaching fragrance in her backyard too. 

Daffodils and Buttercups

The daffodils are tucked into odd spots all over the garden.  They were planted by Miss Mattie Belle more than 50 years ago, and they're still going strong.  They're not fancy, new varities, but they're bright, perky, reliable, and very dependable.  In other words, perfect.

Old But Reliable Hyacinths

Miss Mattie Belle loved old houses, boxwoods, azaleas, camellias, and all kinds of bulbs.  She planted the hyacinths too.  They're tall, sturdy, and seriously fragrant.  A great counterpoint to the daffodils. 

And now for the newcomers...

Potentilla

Heartleaf

The potentilla was a gift from a friend nearly two years ago.  This is the first year, however, that it has put on a proper spring show.  The heartleaf was a recent gift to myself.  It's definitely not pretty in the classic sense, but it's quirky, unassuming, and lives happily underneath taller plants.  If I'm lucky, it will begin to put on its own show within several years.  I just have to be patient.