Exploding Springtime garden

I think spring has arrived in my backyard. 

This poor tree has been bare for so long, I was afraid it might be dead. 

Then there is this happy bush. 

And the roses. I need to go in and clean then up a bit. But they look happy. 

And I still love the bottle brush bush. 

Hummingbird nest

This spring I saw a hummingbird nest. It nestled in the long branches of the tree across the fence. The hummingbird patrolled my back yard zipping around my patio after I went out. I didn't see the babies, they are so small. I didn't watch for the fledglings. It was too far away and I didn't pull out the binoculars to monitor them.

Today I am hoping they are safe.

Yesterday Boaz and I were annoyed as the gardeners started trimming trees at 7 am. The buzz of the chainsaws droned on for over an hour -- there are a lot of trees on our street.

I didn't think about the nests. I didn't worry about the hummingbirds.

Today there were loud birds in my back yard. They were new. I didn't recognize them. They were not the cooing doves. They squawked and trilled their agitation. I finally put it together. They must have lost their home.

The tree looks like this now. There is a lot of daylight between the branches. Yesterday I was thinking maybe Craig should trim out tree.

This is our tree. The other tree used to be this full. I wonder how many nests were destroyed and how many birds have been displaced. 

I hope the hummingbirds that buzzed my patio are okay and will come back next year. I hope the upset birds in my backyard find new homes and find peace.

Meanwhile, we will deal with the falling leaves and yellow seeds that sprinkle our patio. I've decided not to trim the tree.

Second one

I have a slew of lovely green leaves that promise beautiful blooms. I water them and watch glossy leaves unfurl. I look for the hint of white that is the promise of a lilly. 

This is the second cala that has braved the season. I'm wondering if it is a seasonal thing. 

It is beatifiul and it is a little bit of hope for future blooms. 

My little garden

We had a misting rain yesterday morning. It was enough for the plants to gather water droplets on leaves and petals and bejewel the garden.

A few pictures.

Red velvety rose kissed by the rain.

Sweet peach rose enjoying the rain.

The Calla Lillies gathering rain drops and the shy praying mantis posing for pictures.

My fingers for reference. This mantis is the only one I've been able to see for a while. He is good at hiding and he is growing. Sometimes I wonder if the ever present birds have found him and eaten him up, but then he shows up and my heart rejoices. So silly to be so concerned over an insect. 

Baby lemons. It's been fun watching them develop. 

My transplanted rose. All the leaves are new growth since the move. I pruned back the existing leaves hoping to spur the new growth, and she is happy and thriving.

I'm not much of a gardener, but my few little projects seem to enjoy the back patio. I'm wondering if I can add some veggies, but the planned July and early August visits to family have me worried.

Baby lemons

I know I seem obsessed with my little back patio. I go out daily to look for my little babies. I check on my transplanted rose. I obsess over my lemon tree. It is a small enough space that I can go out and putter for a few minutes and really see a difference.

Here are some pictures of my tiny lemons.

This bundle of lemons growing from the spent blossoms. I imagine that the six will somehow naturally select down to two. I am wondering where the pestle will end up. Will it fall off, or be absorbed into the fruit and turn into the center where the sections all join? I haven't been this observant of flowers and fruit since high school science assignments.

Here are some blossoms getting ready to bloom with a flower already spent and growing fruit.

Currently I have six well formed green lemons growing on my tree. I had one little sad lemon fall off. It was small and a bit misshapen. Hopefully soon I'll have more to count and fuss over. 

I go out and smell the delicous air. That is part of my obsession also. The Southern California flowers and foliage perfum the air and it is intoxicating. 

Growth

My poor damaged rose that we transplanted is growing. At a reduced rate to be sure, but the leaves are unfurling and reaching for the sun. 

Two of the three spots of new growth in particular are determined to live. That is a happy. 

Also I check previous locations of praying mantis spottings. Today he was caught out in the open. He has doubled his length. He has managed to not be eaten by the birds. That is a happy too. 

I am hoping he has found a good spot of aphids to feast on. Good garden news. 

Transplanted rose.

Craig went and bought a new shovel. He dug it out. It was trapped by tree roots and its own deep tap root. I am hoping that we didn't kill it. 

I have trimmed it back a bit, but really it didn't have much new growth living in the shadows of the confining tree. 

I hope it makes it. 

On a more positive note - the beautiful bud of last week has bloomed into a spectacular full rose. 

I love the variegated color. Gorgeous.