QUEEN ELIZABETH AND BABY CARDINALS

     By the way the parents are acting, I'm positive the baby cardinals have hatched today.  Maybe, they just started hatching or just finished.  Just now, the parents came to one of my birdbaths and bathed and bathed and the mama stayed for about five minutes, bathing.  Before, she was always in a hurry go get back to her nest.  And now, the papa is out in my big flower bed and I think he's looking for bugs and caterpillars to feed his newborns.  Until today, I would only see the cardinals together in the evening and early morning, when I fed them.  I would see him flitting here and there, but I think she was sitting on her nest. They will be very busy for the next couple of weeks, feeding those new babies.
     Today, while I was mowing the yard, I kept noticing all of the new growth and the weeds and the grass in my very large flower beds. I realized that there is a lot of work ahead for me and it was almost overwhelming!  We've been in such a horrible drout and, finally, lots of rain this spring.  So, I will not complain!  My garden is full of perennials and I really love how they return, year after year.  One of my very favorite flowers is blue plumbago and I have it in lots of places in my beds.  It comes back every year and throws seeds everywhere.  Later, I'll show photos of it, but it's just now beginning to bloom.  And, my Queen Elizabeth climbing rose is beautifully full of large pink blooms and rosebuds.  I love spring!!

     Every year, I tell myself I won't be purchasing any new flowers, but I did it again!!  I can't help but get a few annuals to put in the ground and some in pots.  During the summer, when it's sooo hot, it's really hard to keep them happy.  But for now, they will help to make my yard beautiful. 
     How is your spring going?