Happy Little Trees

The trees we planted in November are looking very happy. We've been dutifully watering them each day (and now, thanks to some torrential rains, they're getting plenty on their own) and they are leafing out beautifully.

Here is the maple in our front yard, evidently still leaning after a few months of training. We took the band off to see how it was doing and clearly it still needs some help learning to grow straight.

The maple in the back has a much rounder ball of leaves and seems much fuller - which will make for a nice and robust shade cover in the maybe not too distant future. The tree to the right in this picture is on the chopping block, sort of literally. It's mostly dead and now it is stealing light from our maple, so we plan to cut it down soon.

 The Japanese Snowbell is also looking happy.

And now for the very littlest of trees. D is on a mission to replant those random trees in our yard that grew in our flower beds from natural causes. He's planting a row of them along the property line with the empty lot in an effort to (one day) bring back some shade to that side of the house. Here is a tin maple we found in a garden:

He's also planting a row of them at the curb between the sidewalk and the street. It's not technically our property but it is ours to maintain. Our town recently went through planting some saplings along certain streets, but ours was not one of them. The trees that do exist in that space are looking old and worn out, so it's time to replenish the tree canopy here as well. These are tulip trees but we have a few maple babies growing in our gardens that we plan to put in this area as well, maybe not until after the hot summer.

And now a diversion to show you what has apparently become our very purple spring garden. Right now the alliums are in full bloom, as are the dark purple irises and the clematis. The lighter purple irises and the purple phlox are past their peak but still hanging on. I am loving having a garden in my favorite color. Though I'm excited for the yellows of the late summer black-eyed susans too (hopefully with some purple echinacea thrown in for good measure).

And finally, some new additions to our patio - two very inexpensive adirondack chairs from Target to match the mini ones we got the kids. I should have about another week to enjoy them before the mosquitoes come out in full force.