Bramley Cooking Apple tree

Today is the last day in April, and I just wanted to show you some of what has been growing in the garden this spring.  I really think it is picture worthy.  Of course, I might be a little biased. 🙂  The picture above is of our Bramley (cooking) apple tree.  The blossoms are so pretty!  My husband is responsible for pruning the apple trees every winter and I think he’s been doing a nice job.  We moved our other (eating) apple tree this winter, so it doesn’t have as many blossoms just yet.

Bramley cooking apple tree blossom

New to this part of the garden are some supports for peas.  My friend Susan gave me some useful Hazel sticks which my husband used to make tee-pee like structures.  He then wrapped them in chicken wire.  The peas climbed the wire quite happily last year, I just didn’t like how it looked in a straight line. I already like this look much better, even before the peas get going!  The peas were planted this week.

Newly built supports for our peas using hazel and chicken wire.

Strawberry beds

Here’s a little peek at my strawberry beds.  I’ve weeded them a couple of times this spring!  They are coming along really well.  Last year was an amazing year for strawberries. I have my fingers crossed that this summer will be as good!  At the far end of the garden, closest to the red playhouse, we have raspberries growing.  They look good this year.  This is one fruit that has not thrived for us (yet).  This year at least looks promising!

Mallow

On to flowers!  This beautiful mallow plant was courtesy of a bird. Well, at least I didn’t plant it.  The color is a lovely plum.  We had to stake it as we live in a very, very windy area.  Nevertheless, it is doing quite well!

Mallow

Ditch Wall Garden

This garden is affectionately called the “ditch wall garden” as I uncovered a ditch wall while creating this garden.  I wrote about it here: https://mominthegarden.wordpress.com/2012/03/13/ivy-ivy-everywhere-finding-a-lovely-little-rock-ditch-wall-under-the-ivy/  .  The current star of the garden is this primrose.  It has really taken off since I planted it last year (given to me from a friend’s garden).

Primrose

Also adding to this little garden is this dark euphorbia.  My friend Susan visited me yesterday and she loved the color combination of the euphorbia and my Freeman tulips. 🙂

Freeman tulips and a dark euphorbia

I know I’ve already posted about my tulips, but I had to add a few more pictures of them.  They have done so well this spring!

White tulip

This white tulip is new to me this year.  I like it, I just didn’t order enough of it!

White tulip close-up

I have a tulip correction, too. I mistakenly called my Foxtrot tulips “Innuendo” tulips.  Yikes!  The REAL Innuendo tulips are these:

Proper Innuendo Tulips

While the Foxtrot tulips are these:

Foxtrot tulips

How did I mix them up???

My favorites: Ballerina tulips

But without a doubt, my favorite tulips this year are my Ballerina tulips.  I have loved every minute of them!  The last flower picture is of some flowers that were in a flower pot from last year.  I did nothing with the container over the winter. It sat at my back door, completely neglected.  So it is funny to be rewarded with these lovely Calendula flowers after so much neglect!

Calendula flowers in a flowerpot

April was quite good to us, don’t you think?  I hope your spring is as lovely for you!
Dana