We’ve had an incredibly early season here (though I’ve been saying that each year for the past few years–but again this season seems especially early). My roses are in full-bore bloom. My asparagus began a week ago or more. Dahlias are just peeking their little shoots out of the ground. My tulips have already come and gone (though thankfully these pictures retain their beauty). My English ‘Roseum’ rhododendron has also finished blooming (again memorialized here). What’s nice about the Madrona tree (hence the name of the Seattle neighborhood where I live) photo is that it’s in flower as well.
With three children under the age of four the garden becomes a luxury I can hardly afford. One has to make compromises like realizing you can’t weed and maintain it all by yourself any longer. But the garden still pulls you back to beauty in the midst of the poop and swill. Not that my children aren’t beautiful, mind you. There’s just something so meditative and almost spiritual about the beauty that is a garden.