My Armand's Clematis was beautiful all winter until a late freeze in March turned all the leaves brown and zapped the blossoms. The guy who I bought it from said it should be putting back out in about 2 weeks. Thank God for small things. I was disappointed not having the blooms, it smells so good.
Wednesday morning we had winter in spring. Of course I shouldn't complain, because there were snowstorms in the midwest.
If you live anywhere close to 
Marion Alabama, visit 
Perry Lakes Parknext weekend, especially if you would like to see hundreds of 
Carolina Silverbells (Halesia carolina) in bloom. It such a lovely underused native. The park has many interesting trees, lots of bald cypresses, a bird tower, the cahaba river, a great place to picnic and spend the day. And anytime, it is beautiful.
Except for the bad weather goings on, Spring is a wonderful time, and tomorrow it starts for real.
Hopefully we will have no more freezes. All my Armand's Clematis leaves are brown. And it was getting ready to bloom. I hope it puts out new leaves. Last week we were having 80 degree weather. Only a month or so away from 90. The only place I want to be in 90 degree weather is inside or laying on a beach somewhere with a nice ocean breeze - like South Beach, Miami.
When I was young, I loved summers. Now I like them only in Maine or Martha's Vineyard. Oh how nice it would be to have a summer place on Martha's Vineyard or Nantucket. They are both
so charming.
The meadow garden has come alive with clovers. It looks so meadowy this time of the year, before I find it necessary to attack with the lawn mower. After all, I do not want to be able to see a snake before it sees me. It looks as if an impressionist painter has gotten his hands on an acre of ground. The violet vetch is blooming, plus the ever so green four leaf clover, and most spectacular of all - a tiny blue clover that hugs the ground. I wish I knew the name of it. Next month the crimson and yellow clovers will be abloom.
I just went on the website http://www.woodlanders.net/ and ordered nine plants. Many were favorites of Elizabeth Lawrence, who wrote 
A Southern Garden. A Souther Garden is a great read.
Any way I order a 
flowering apricot (Prunus mume), a 
single-flowering kerria(Kerria japonica 'Shannon'), and a 
fetterbush (Lyonia lucida), which are among her favorites plus 6 other plants. The 6 other plants are 2 sweet box (Sarcococca), a 
cabbage palm, a double-flowering yellow oleander, a 
'Yellow Berries' Nandina, and a black jetbead. In the book 
Passalong Plants, by Felder Rushing and Steve Bender, an essay is written on "Yellow Berries" nandina, and an essay
is written on the black jetbead.
Every day on my way to Selma, I drive by the local family doctor's house in the country about 8 miles south of our little town. Across from his house is a lake with bald cypresses growing in the
water close to water's edge. It is such a picturesque site. Wish I had a pond to put some in. I might grow one in my meadow garden, however. Either that or a Canadian Yew.
The Bradford Pears are all white in Selma and so are the Redbuds. The large Daffodils are blooming also. Most of the old fashioned yellow jonquils have quit.
A great friend and his wife came to my garden yesterday. It was great fellowship had
in dividing monkey grass, bulbs,and perrenials, digging up seedling redbuds. Part of the immense pleasure in gardening is sharing your plants. It's good for the environment, spreads the different species and varieties around, and gives your perrenials room to grow, and you bulbs more space to multiply.
Yesterday I had to go to Mobile for a physical. After I had driven about 100 miles
southwest, I got to the point where the redbuds were abloom. It was a great day in
Mobile, and I was able to get home before the rains.
Every time I think spring has sprung, the fates prove me wrong. Of course we have
had freezes even in April. But so many camellia blossoms, and many other plant
blossoms will be zapped. For it is suppose to rain again this afternoon, and
tommorrow will be cold. Early Sunday Morning it is suppose to get down to 28 degrees.
Today I was doing research on bipolar disorder, and found more funny articles by
akeejaho. I thought there were no gardeners who were bipolar. At last I've found one
with a brilliant sense of humor, into finding natural foods and such to manage his
brain chemistry, responsible for mood swings.
The Black Belt of Alabama got plenty of rain in February. March looks as though it will be a rainy month. My garden got 2 inches of rain last night. It's great but it
would be nicer without all the fireworks display. I guess God is into Theater.
What a pleasant drive I had to Selma. Selma is the largest town in Alabama's Black Belt. Not only was the weather picture perfect, but
every way I cast my eyes, they was some shrub, tree, or bulbs blooming. The forsythias, flowering quince, daffodils, and chinese witch hazel or 
Loropetulam is all blooming. I saw what I believe to be wild plum trees also blooming.
