You leave home for a few days, and just look what happens in the garden. The lilies are starting to put on a show.  I love the rust colored ones, but I also love the Easter lilies (especially since I got those a couple of years ago on the discount table the week after Easter for 50 cents each).  The pink lilies came from California.  The pink calla lilies I started from seeds.  The white one, I bought years ago. Some of the sun loving, pollinator plants have started blooming, hopefully to attract butterflies, moths, and bees to the garden. Some of the nonblooming plants are beautiful this year, thanks to the rain.  This is a hosta I’ve had for years.  Its span is about 6 feet, three feet tall, with 10 inch leaves. And, of course, it’s hydrangea time.  The Snowflake oakleaf hydrangea has twelve inch clusters that weigh it down to the ground.  Some of the mopheads and the lacecaps are also blooming.  Still waiting on the pee gee and limelight.  But the Annabelle is covered with blooms. The alstromeria are blooming, along with the dwarf butterfly bush.  The alstromeria will be moving to Leslie’s house since I planted this years ago just for her.   It’s just an adventure every day to stroll through the garden and spot new things in bloom, or just sprouting from seed.  And of course, the veggie garden is up, but well behind its usual size by this time of year.  The cold and the wet weather got me off to a slow start, but with blooms can cucumbers, zucchini, and tomatoes be far behind?   I can see pickles in the near future.

Whew!  With all this rain, I’m in a race against the weeds and the reseeding flowers that are crowding their neighbors.  But I still find a little space here and there to tuck in something new.  The butterfly garden is coming right along.  The cosmos are blooming, the first of the butterfly weed opened this morning, and the pentas are ready to go in the ground.  I am seeing hummers at the red honeysuckle and the bush salvia.  If only the weeds would disappear, I’d be a happy gardener, indeed

Coral Bells in full bloom.

Bleeding Hearts still blooming after all these days.

Praying Hands hosta in homemade hypertufa pot

A foxglove that I have no idea how it came to be in this flower bed.

Nigella, with one of the rarest blue colors, much like a bachelor’s button. Brought this back from a trip to San Francisco.

Rose Campion-an heirloom plant that I got from my great Aunt Maude over 30 years ago. It can be invasive, but I like the magenta color enough to overlook that.

Planting pentas just for the butterflies. Of course, it doesn’t hurt my feelings to look at it either.

The snapdragon is a sentimental favorite. I remember my Mama Gentry having it in her yard.

The Cyclamen have enjoyed the rains.

My shade garden in the back yard is also a water loving garden. It helps that the fountain splashes water on the plants all day and all night.

Blue Mammoth hosta was one of my first hostas. It is over 5 feet across. Has done exceptionally well with all this rain.

The mailbox clematis hasn’t bloomed well for two years. The oak tree above it has spread so much that it keeps the clematis shaded. The blooms are nice, but the plant is very lush.

The potato plants are blooming, so I should be digging some spuds before long.

Can we say cucumber pickles anyone?

The blackberries can’t be far behind with all these flowers.

The deck baskets are sporting some pretty new petunias.

Blueberry pie, blueberry muffins, blueberry cobbler, or blueberries for the birds. You want to guess who gets to them first every year?

For the past six years, I’ve been chairman of the Master Gardener Plant Sale.  It totally consumes parts of my life.  From potting plants, to making signs, writing publicity articles, to setup week, I pretty much work on plant sale stuff throughout the year.

Our sale on Saturday was a huge success.  Within an hour and a half of opening the doors, we had sold the vast majority of our thousands of plants.  Unfortunately, the cold, wet winter did some serious damage to many of our plants we had propagated for the sale.  But we still had a building full!

We have some very loyal customers who come every year, waiting in line for a couple of hours so they can be the first in the building, getting the pick of the plants.  With several hundred customers, rows and rows of tables filled with plants, plants in very nook and cranny of the building, it can be overwhelming for first timers.

But at the end of the day, we make a ton of money for our projects and charitable giving.

Now it’s on to a new project.  Not sure yet what it will be, but I want to do something that will benefit people, help them learn to have a love of gardening that sustains me in my darkest hours, and is a community service.

I know that the Native Plant Society is going to become a bigger part of my life.  I absolutely love going out to the woods to rescue native plants from the bulldozer.  I’m slowly filling my yard with natives, displacing much of the nonnatives.  I’m not a purist, but I do love that the natives can pretty much take care of themselves once they are established.  Maybe my new ‘career’ will be educating people about the importance of our native plants.

Whatever I decide to do in my ‘next life’, I want to make sure that nothing consumes me and causes me to ignore my family and friends.

Just when I think March and early April are my favorite bloom times, along come the irises.  They are outdoing themselves this year.  One of the reasons I love these plants so much is the people associated with many of them.  Some came from Mama’s garden, some from gardening friends.  I wish I had labeled them all with the names of those who shared them with me.  But strolling amongst them recalls the warm feelings I get thinking about who each one reminds me of, or a special occasion when I received them.

Along with the iris are the columbines, whose multiple blooms will continue to give me such pleasure for a few more weeks.

I love the native red columbines with the native red honeysuckle as a backdrop.  The hummers love it as much as I do.

I’ve finally achieved my goal of blooms every day of the year.  I hardly ever fail to stroll around the yard daily, just to see what’s new and blooming.  It’s a wonderful thing.

I heard a sermon once in which the preacher said it doesn’t matter what year you are born, or what year you die.  What matters is what you do with the dash between those dates.  Many of us spend our dashes rushing around trying to find something to make us happy.  Others spend their dashes doing good things to make other people happy.

Yesterday, I saw a fine example of someone who has lived her dash well.  Dianne has devoted herself to her nursing profession for 42 years.  Now that she is sick and unable to work, her dash is paying off.

While most people are soon forgotten by coworkers, Dianne has one of the most caring, persistent bunch of coworkers and friends I’ve ever encountered.  When we got home from her doctor visit yesterday, one of her supervisors and her husband were in Dianne’s yard mowing, digging out monkey grass, and generally sprucing up the yard.  We pitched in to help and soon two more friends arrived, then a couple more.  For over three hours these women (and one husband) worked tirelessly in her yard, clearing out her wooded area, pulling privet, honeysuckle and blackberry briars.  They loaded it on a trailer to be hauled off.  They even climbed over in the trailer by ladder to pack it down so they could dump in more stuff.  The yard looks great, thanks to these wonderful ladies.  One even provided home made soup to feed the work crew.

I have to wonder how many people would appreciate my dash enough to devote so much care and concern on me.  Makes me stop and think that maybe I need to spend the rest of my dash being a better friend and family member.

I think of the many birthdays I forgot to send a card or a gift, how many times I didn’t call to check on a sick friend, the favors I promised but failed to follow through on, and the list goes on.  I can honestly say, that Dianne remembers those birthdays, calls on and helps her sick friends with rides to the doctor, gift baskets, books to read, and anything else she can to to make the time pass for them more pleasantly.  She is never stingy with her time, always willing to volunteer where needed, always available to take mama where she needs/wants to go.  She is overly generous with her money, always donating to a needy cause.

I guess she’s just about the best sister anyone could have, and I’ve only recently understood just how special she really is.

So from now own, I promise myself to be a better friend, family member, Christian, and person.

Please pray for Dianne and our entire family as she has her surgery on Monday.  I know there is much left for her to do, especially being an example of what we should all strive to be.

We had a huge crowd at Mama’s house today for our annual Easter covered dish lunch and egg hunt.  I think each year we have to add more table space for food, as well as guests.  It’s so easy to forget how much family means to me, with all my busy-ness.  But I love to sit around talking to Mama’s brothers and sisters and swapping stories about her!  They have some real tales to tell.

Mama’s brother, Harvey, saying the blessing.  I enjoyed hearing his tales of his and Mama’s competition with their gardening.  He doesn’t believe in planting by the signs, but Mama sure does.  Don’t know which one has the better garden, although Mama has really cut the size of her garden, and is a little slower getting around these days.  But what can we expect of a soon-to-be 86 year old spring chicken.

We cooked coconut pies together on Friday.  As she finished making the custard filling for her coconut cream pie, she said we should stir in the coconut.  After she stirred a bit, she said, “That looks just right.  It’s lumpy, just like me!”  I told my Leslie about this and that I’m putting it in the cookbook.  Leslie wondered how anyone making the recipe who didn’t know Mama would know how lumpy she is, so how lumpy should the pie mix be?  Good question, but not my problem!

Mama’s sister, Ima and her husband, Bo.  She is such a neat person, a real go getter.

Her sister, Irene, checking out the Thomas the Train book Lucas got in his stocking.

Her sister, Pearl, holding Lizzie, our newest addition.  Lizzie’s grandmother was Pearl’s twin sister.  I know Myrl would have been totally wrapped up in this little girl.

The food- Oh, my goodness, we’ve got some super cooks in the family.  Brother Steve smoked pork to make barbecue, all the women made their special dressing, vegetables, fried chicken, sandwiches, salads, and desserts-cookies, cakes, trifle, pies, candy.  There was enough left over for everyone to take a plate home, with leftovers for Mama to feed ‘the boys’ next week.

Everyone takes a seat and chows down.  There’s no shortage of food at the Gentry family reunions.

And there’s always plenty of visiting and ‘catching up’ to be done.

The best part of the day-except the food, the family fellowship and did I mention the food?It’s the Easter Egg Hunt.  We have two hiding fields-the front yard for the little ones and the orchard for the big kids.  With over 400 eggs to find, there’s plenty of fun to go around.

I can’t imagine any family enjoying each other’s company any more than our family.  While it’s sad to think of those who are not there to share the day with us, there are the new faces we see who just joined us-through birth, marriage, dating, or just as friends who come for the fun of the day.  I love being part of such a wonderful group of people.

Okay, it’s time to admit I’m an addict.  I just can’t seem to get enough native plants in my yard!  Joining the Native Plant Society was the first step leading to my disease.  When I went on my first rescue, I was immediately hooked.  Just couldn’t get enough of those plants.  I wanted one of every kind I saw.  Field trips to the Alabama Botanical Gardens and The Pocket added to my woes.

Now, I hit every native plant sale I can find, dig up non natives and replace them with natives, and prowl my yard day and night looking for new blooms or a new plant poking its head up through the ground.

And even worse is plant envy.  When one of my native plant friends gets a new plant that I don’t have, I must admit that I covet their plants.

Here are some of the beautiful plants that are now beginning to bloom, as the earliest spring ephemerals begin to wane.

The Native Redbud tree has been beautiful.  I dug this from the yard of the oldest living Master Gardener in Georgia after doing a garden program at his home near Macon.  Just a sweet Southern gentleman.  I always think of him when this tree is in bloom.

The little Southern Wood Violets are blooming  with great abandon.  Next year, I’ll have dozens of babies to pot up and share.

The Woodland Phlox is just beautiful and has the added bonus of being resistant to the common mildew problem of cultivated phlox.

Whenever I hear the word ‘honeysuckle’ I always think of the yellow and white Japanese honeysuckle of my youth.  I remember us kids walking down the little dirt Saxon Rd. and plucking the blossoms.  We’d pinch the base off, pull out the tallest stamen and lick the sweet nectar from the flower.  Now I think not so kindly of the Japanese honeysuckle, as it seems determined to take over my woods.  Instead, I have planted this beautiful red native honeysuckle.  It is about 6 feet tall, completely covering the obelisk I put there to give it a structure to climb. and has a spread of at least 8 feet.  Right now it is covered with hundreds of buds which will begin to open in the next few days, showing off their bright yellow tips.  The hummers will be arriving shortly for dinner!

Native Columbines can’t be beat for beauty, endurance and care free attitude.  The hummers love it, I love it, and everyone who comes over takes babies home if they want them.  They reseed easily, so I always have plenty to share.

One of my most recent finds- a red chokeberry which has these lovely dainty flowers to be followed by bright red berries.

Merrybells.  What more to say.  They certainly make me feel merry, just seeing the blossoms dangle in the breeze.

The tiny buds of the bell shaped flowers dangle from the stalks of the Solomon’s Seal plants.  The weather this winter and spring must have been the favorite of these plants, as I have dozens of them springing up all over the wooded areas of the yard.

One of the several varieties of trilliums in the yard.  This one is unusual in that it presents its flowers upwards, making them easy to spot.  Tirlliums have three leaves, three sepals and three flower petals, thus it’s name.

The Athens Sweet Shrub was developed at UGA’s horticulture school.  It is sweetly scented with a light spicy smell.

The Catesby Trillium dangles its blossoms underneath the leaves.  This one has a baby nearby from last year’s seed.

Everybody loves the pink Lady’s Slipper orchids.  This is one of two that I rescued from a gardeners pesticide applicator.  It is returning for the third year.  Conventional wisdom says they won’t survive beyond the third year in most transplant situations because of their need for certain microorganisms in the soil and the old pink straw.  I don’t have any pine trees, but I always scavenge pine straw from the woods nearby, or from neighbor’s yards when they rake off the old pine straw and dump it on the street so they can spend money on more pine straw.  Haven’t figured that one out yet1

These cute Dutchman’s Britches have bloomed for the first time in several years.  It got its name from the white flowers, which look like the pantlooms worn by Dutch sailors in the past.

The Serviceberry, the black Chokeberry, the Witch Hazel, Pecan tree, native azaleas, and Spicebushes  all went into the ground this weekend.  Next year, I’ll be prowling the yard every day in the spring, looking for the first signs of blooms.  It’s an addiction, but one I don’t ever want to be cured of!

After six harrowing months for Dianne, she finally has some good news.  Her tumors have shrunk to the point that they have been able to schedule her surgery.  It will be very extensive, with a long recuperation time.

We went to her surgeon’s office today.  This woman is amazing.  She is so focused, but at the same time so cognizant of Dianne’s needs for reassurance and some good news.  Today, she said that she thought the spleen was no longer going to need to be removed.  Her tumor that delayed the surgery for 8 weeks has shrunk, and the doctor said her organs seem to have more independent movement from the first exam.  When she had her exploratory surgery in Nov., her organs in her lower abdomen were all pretty much stuck to each other by tumors.  If the chemo has worked those tumors have shrunk enough to allow the freedom of movement Dr. Carroll noted today.  She said to expect a long hospital stay-probably 10 days or more (that’s Dianne’s guess.  The doctor wouldn’t give a number.)

And the crushing news of the day—she said Dianne probably wouldn’t get to work in her yard for several years due to the risk of picking up and infection or soil borne illness.  She had so looked forward to retiring so she could garden and do all the fun stuff.

But we left the doctor’s office today and went straight to Home Depot where we bought flowers to plant in her yard.

A few years ago, I did a backyard makeover while she was away on vacation as a surprise birthday gift.  She wants shrubbery in her front yard and an island of hydrangeas and hostas.  So while she is recuperating, that’s my goal.  She’ll be able to sit in her chair inside and see the flowers as they begin blooming.

We also went today to look for a new recliner and sofa for her den.  If she’s going to be stuck inside, we want it to be pretty!  We also drew off plans for a major remodel of her house, giving her a larger bedroom and a great bathroom/closet suite with a huge walk-in curbless shower, linen closet and a nice sized walk in closet.  We’ll begin on this when she is far enough along in her recuperation to put up with moving out for a few weeks and staying with someone else.  Mama says her, I say me!

Even if some or none of this comes about, I believe it’s that planning ahead and looking to a better future will serve her well in the coming months, and new furniture and flower beds will certainly lift her spirits.

I look forward to our girl trips together, even though they involve a doctor’s visit, and feel that our friendship and ‘sisterly love’ have benefited from this ordeal.  If there is any way to find something positive about her being so sick, I think that is the lesson learned.  We had let our girl trips lag, had become complacent in thinking there’s always another day to make that call, or visit, or road trip.  Now we savor the thoughts of having the opportunity to do those things together.  So, a word from someone who has learned the lesson-cherish those you love and never let the relationship fall to the wayside, whether it’s a family member or friend.

Nothing quite puts winter to bed than the final weeks of spring training, and the opening crack of the bat.  Scott and I made out trip to Florida this week to see the Braves in action.  It looks like we’re going to struggle some, with so many pitchers on the injured list.

Even though the game was well fought, but sluggish,  we enjoyed our day at the ball park.  And I just happened to snag an autograph from Craig Kimbrell as he was leaving the practice field prior to the game.  He’s such a humble seeming young man.  But, on the field, he’s a dynamo.  Yep, there he is, signing my baseball!

We rounded out our week in the Sunshine state with a trip to Marineland and a pass through St. Augustine especially to get some fresh seafood for dinner.  It was excellent.  Wish I could bring that fresh taste of shrimp home with me to savor at a later time.

The weather was excellent, although we both got a sunburn at the game, even with sunscreen applied liberally.  I’m afraid my feet looked diseased, with the tan line of my flip flops.  Guess I’ll just have to sit at the next game barefooted to even out the lines.

And we have our tickets for our first regular season game, so ‘Let’s Go Braves!”

The daffodils have finished their first flush of blooms, and now hang sad-looking dried heads.  But the second round of blooms have already started taking their place.  I love that I can find something new every morning when I step outside.  Daffodils, crocus, hyacinths, anemones, trout lilies, Bloodroot, Green and Gold.  And tomorrow there will be something new to add to the list.  The honeybees and bumblebees are feasting on the rich nectar and the yellow pollen, as they fly away with their pollen sacs loaded down.  God sure had a sense of humor when he made those plump bumblebees who are so graceful, even though they do ‘bumble around’ in the flowers.

I should have daffodils of one kind or another blooming for at least another month, maybe longer.  And then the summer annuals and perennials will begin their display.  I’m already seeing the buds of the hydrangea leaves and the azalea blossom buds.  The red buds are just beginning to peek out of their hiding places.  The fountain is cleaned, filled and splashing away, drawing in the birds and insects.  If life ever gets better than springtime, I just don’t know if I can survive with my breath taken away for so long!