April brought about big changes in the garden and weather. When I read last month's post, there was still winter weather, and only the earliest blooms. But here we are at the end of April, and it's warm and full of flowers, nearly time to plant the warm weather plants. It might even be safe to do so now, but I'll wait until mid May as usual.
I still saw a few late daffodils this month, but it was mostly about tulips and flowering trees. There were plenty of these pretty things at home, but hubs and I took the opportunity to explore a few public gardens too. We first went to Dawe's Arboretum on a chilly damp day, so we could see the cherry trees in bloom. It was worth dodging a few raindrops.
Soon it was time to see the tulip display at Franklin Park Conservatory. This time, it was a perfect pleasant spring day.
We also found more tulips to enjoy at Inniswood Metro Garden.
But then I turned my attention to home, where tulips popped up in various locations and multiple colors. I plant fresh tulips every fall, but the prior year tulips often do repeat bloom for another year or two, so I get a wide variety of colors and bloom times.
I was particularly enthralled with the crabapples this year. You see, for the last few years, we've battled scale insects on them, and their blooms were sparse. But we treated the trees with a fall applied soil drench for a few years, and voila! It worked, they've returned to their former glory. I'm tickled that they put on such a show for my last spring in our Ohio nest.
Other flowering things also caught my eye at home. Knowing this would be the last spring to see these blooms here, I’ve treasured each flower arrival.
Around the house, I did a little cooking and baking, and decorated for spring. I did complete a crochet sweater that I made for myself, but it doesn't show up well in photos. It turned out nice, but it weighs so much that I feel like I made myself a winter coat! It's too heavy to use as a cardigan, so it's more useful as a jacket sweater.
We ended the month with a long, driving trip to Florida. We have family there, so we mostly just visited, and ate delicious food. Next month, we’re going to Holland Michigan for the tulip festival. It’s a very busy time for us!
As usual, I’ll close with a bit of sky watching. My new home should also have a clear view of the sky, so I’ll be curious to see how the sunsets look from there, and where I’ll go to see special sunsets. This is something I require.
Hope to see you here again at the end of May. By then, we’ll have completed our plantings, travelled about, and put the house on the market! But we’ll talk about that then. Thanks for stopping by.