Spring in Norwalk

All the landscaping is what came with the house except for bulbs we planted around the mailbox, along the walkway, and around the two Japanese maples. 

When we first saw this house it was already the end of spring.  By the time we moved in and had time to look around it was well into summer so we missed all the exciting spring growth.  When the bulbs went on sale for fall planting someone very smart (my mom) suggested that before we go too crazy with the planting we should wait through one spring to see what was already here.  And it turns out she was right.  The big picture doesn't really do it justice because it is overcast today, but I though it would provide come context for all the close-ups.

Here we have a mix of new and existing plantings.  The tulips at the front and the back are new, as is the narcissus.  In the middle we discovered snowdrops and something right next to them that has yet to be identified.

So far just one hyacinth is coming up in the middle of some tulips.

In front of the reading/sewing/knitting nook the bushes are coming to life with lovely bright green leaves.  I was a little worried that it would not recover because I snipped off nearly three feet of wild branches.

Most of our planting efforts went here where we have crocuses, hyacinths, and narcissus peeking up through the dirt.

These came up first since they get the most direct light and got the lightest covering of leaves after we planted them.  They are supposed to be tall striking purple puffballs (I don't remember the name).

We trimmed the lilac bushes too and they are bursting with little green buds and leaves now. 

By the time we got here the forsythia had turned green so we spent lots of time trying to figure out if it really was forsythia and now we have our answer. 

The purple flowers on the shrubs under the windows were a pleasant surprise.

And this seems to be a shrub with white flowers. 

More forsythia. 

Another pleasant surprise when we moved in was this hydrangea which has lovely purple-y blue flowers.  

And some of the local birds and insects are stirring too (I took this picture just for Todd). 

Even the ground cover has flowers. 

Best of all, our sour cherry tree (a.k.a. meteor cherry tree) that we planted for Emmeline at the end of the summer is showing signs of life.