This is definitely my favorite time of year. The snow is long gone, and all the perennials are up. This Nelly Moser clematis is one of my favorites, and is perfect with the wooden bird houses in our yard. We usually have up to 30 nests each Summer, with multiple clutches of finches and bluebirds. The bird feeders are a crowded place these days, and even the magpies stop by to pick up stray peanuts on the ground below. FYI, we don't paint most of our birdhouses, as they seem to prefer them au naturale!
Love those perennials as they just come back from nothing on the bare ground to huge stands of pink echinacea, Black-Eyed Susans, red lupine, and my favorite, bee balm. Great for hummingbirds, and they bring in all sorts of birds. Check out our Mother Robin at the top of a clematis stand in the front yard. She's sitting on some eggs, and they should be hatching any day now.
I've been thinking, what is it that folks would want to see on this blog? How about sending me your ideas, and I'll see if I can include them. One thing I've thought about are some tips on collecting old prints and paintings, that is, what to look for, and more importantly, what to look out for! There are some horror stories out there that I'd hope I can help you avoid when you make your purchases. But questions from you are always helpful, so do send me an email!
Check out these Peruvian daffodils, so fun with their curly petals. Just remember, you can't leave them in the ground where it freezes in the winter, you have to dig and store them. 
But, you can have huge beds of tall bearded iris, they survive just about anything, and require almost nothing. Here's some of my "frilly girls", just now blooming out. Stay tuned, antique tips to follow!
