Friday, March 8, 2013

ODDS AND ENDS IN THE GARDEN

Diana

Diana is still looking good at her advanced age. She's a little slow to rise from a reclining position, but once she gets going, she's still fast.  She quickens my pace on our walks.

Azealeas beginning to bloom

The azaleas are just beginning to bloom. The bush will look gorgeous once it's covered with flowers. The small bush in the background looks as though it might not make it in the long term, but it's still blooming its heart out.

St Francis and the azealea bush

St Francis needs a good wash as he may have needed many times in his life on earth, with all his walking and preaching and eating and sleeping wherever he was made welcome.


Carolina jasmine vine

Alas, Grandpère and I have both forgotten the name of the vine with the pretty yellow flowers.  (Identified with the help of Facebook friends from the close-up photo below.)

St Francis, Diana, and the azalea bush


I have no idea what smell interested Diana so for her to sniff the azalea bush for such a long time. She does that on her walks, too, sniffs intently in one spot for an extended period.

UPDATE: Below is a close-up of the flowers on the vine.
 
Carolina jasmine

13 comments:

  1. Aw, such a good girl! (Diana, too ;-D)

    Thanks for this, Mimi. My doggie daycare dog, Coco the Puggle, does this too. She'll just PLANT her nose in one spot, like a powerful magnet caught and held it. They say 60% of a dog's brain is dedicated JUST to their olfactory sense, and it shows!

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    1. JCF, yes. The highlights of Diana's day now that she no longer chases birds and squirrels are the walks, where gets to smell new smells.

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  2. What a beautiful garden! Spring is on the way here too --the geese are flying north in formation --a sight to behold.

    trumpet vine?

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    1. margaret, I don't know you make it through the winters in SD. I hope the drought conditions lessen.

      I'd love to see the geese.

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  3. Perhaps another animal has marked the azalea. A wondering cat, squirrel, or raccoon, maybe?

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    1. Our yard is fenced, but stray cats visit sometimes, so that may be what Diana smells.

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    2. Oh, and we have possums, armadillos, and nutria who pass through.

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  4. Whatever the reason the bush is worthy of stopping to see and smell. We still have a lot of snow on the ground here in Iowa but soon Spring will burst forth and we will be able to take walks with flowers. All I can say is Thank You! - I don't know what the yellow flowers are but my grandmother always said you should have yellow in a bouquet.

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    1. Jay, friends on Facebook identified the vine as Carolina jasmine. Those of you with hard, long winters will appreciate spring weather all the more. Azaleas don't have an aroma, but the flowers on the vine have a lovely fragrance.

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  5. Replies
    1. I sniff the vine rather than the azaleas. :-)

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    2. Oh, yes, Carolina Jasmine gives off the most gorgeous scent! Your yard is heavenly, Mimi!

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    3. Thanks, Prairie Soul. When we built our house 30 years ago, there was a vacant lot next to ours, so we asked the neighbor on the other side if he wanted to buy the lot with us and divide the property. He agreed, so we have nearly an acre of land, which gives us a large back yard. When Diana was younger, she had a glorious time chasing squirrels and birds, and, on rare occasions, she actually caught one or the other. For her, the joy seemed to be in the chase.

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