Spring Even More

New Leaves - New flowers

Today I was struck by how the flowers are coming out early in our backyard. 

The quince along the northeast fence have been blooming for a week or so. That bush gives us a three-fer. We get the bright red blooms in the spring, the fruit in the fall and all year the mean spines on the branches discourage any intruder from coming into the backyard.

Spines among the quince flowers

The quince bush was slow growing for the first few years. Now I have to prune it back from the house twice each year and the branches extending out from the fence sometimes grow three feet in the summer.

Mummified fruit among the promise of new

Today I noticed that we missed some fruits last fall. They have turned into mummies and look a little incongruous among the new growth and flowers. 

I guess they serve as a reminder that life springs anew each year. 

Come to think of it I wonder why the birds or squirrels didn't find those fruits last fall. Maybe the quinces are too sour even for the birds and animals. When we make the fruit into jelly it's pretty tasty. And the jelly is good looking to boot.

Mini-daffodils gossiping among themselves

Ikuko's mini-daffodils are blooming early this year as are so many of the bulbs and other flowers. Even flowers on our ornamental cherry are just about to open.

Primroses and friends

I guess they don't but our primroses seem to bloom all winter. Today I see some new blooms nearby. I don't know what they are but they are delicate flowers with pale green leaves.

Heather in flower

Hummingbird food on our rosemary bush

Our rosemary bush started life maybe fifteen years ago as a small herb giving us the occasional sprig for the kitchen. Today it has grown to a circumference of seven feet and I'm thinking it would make a good flavoring wood when I smoke something. I've never heard of rosemary smoked salmon. I wonder how it would taste? Maybe some spareribs or chicken might be better.

Tonight the full moon is shining on the new flowers in our backyard. By the time the next full moon shines we will have tulips in full bloom; I will have tipped a glass of sake to the fleeting beauty of the cherry blossoms; the pear-apple trees will have bloomed and, if they can survive the frosts of last night and tonight, will have set some fruit.

I think spring is my favorite season.