Spring Flowers

The first tulips are blooming.

The species tulips are short and make a good substitute for crocuses that the chipmunks eat.  The little yellow tulips slowly spread.

Stocks aren't always available at the garden centers. I think they look Victorian and they have a wonderful fragrance. Hot summer weather can stress them out of blooming but I will enjoy them while the weather is still on the cool side.

 I liked this unusual orange petunia. It's a little more orangey than the photo reflects. It's an E-Z rider variety which is supposed to branch more, and flop less.  We'll see.

A bright cheery calibrachoa.

A quiet woodland garden.

A pair of hummingbirds has been frequenting the pulmonaria. Normally any hummingbirds that show up in the spring are just passing by, but this pair is hanging around so maybe they will nest on the property. Bumblebees also like the pulmonaria and I witnesses a near miss mid-air collision between a hummingbird and a bumblebee. They both startled at the last second and veered away. Pretty funny.
I had put up a hummingbird feeder for the first time in ages even before I saw the pair. They haven't found it yet but I'm sure they will before too long.
The flycatchers have discovered that Pepper, the horse, attracts blackflies and they hang out around him and easily catch the bugs out of the air. Great partnership.
A pair of cardinals is also spending a lot of time near the house so maybe a nest with them, too.