...spring has definitely sprung, part 5

you know it's spring...
when the mostly dead, city tree in front of UnklePhil's is leafing-out...



and new leaves almost hide all the old dead, liquid amber seed pods...



the rosebud I was showing a picture of...
has now completely unfurled itself shamelessly in the sun...
and hangs spent, waiting for a strong breeze to scatter the petals...



there are tons of old leaves, some of which are being formed into piles...
like these in my driveway...

and some of the remnants of my fence flower boxes...



this thriving allyssum...



this red salvia...



and this dark red dianthus...
are doing their best to revel in the sunshine...



and this was a nice surprise ! a few iris are blooming...
even though I had looked for some stalks just a day or so ago...
and found nothing...
these appeared along with a couple of other stalks around the hose...
so I'm enjoying them very much...



in the back, an old Cecil Brunner rose bush...
from a really old bush Mom had at the ranch...
not only flourishes, but is already blooming...
it loves being ignored, when I cut it back, it's never as nice...



the old cherry blossoms are now cherries...



the baby peaches have fuzz...



the Japanese maples are leafing out quickly...
creating the wonderful kaleidoscope of shades of green...
as the breezes move the branches...



seeds are already starting to form...
soon there will be lots of seedling maples to harvest...
for various bonsai attempts...



are these freesias ?
they are some kind of bulb I planted along with the daffodils that are long gone...
they come up every spring...



the buds on the apple tree are opening...



and the grape vine is leafing out faster than anything else...



and then I spied this...
a spike of blooms on the old lilac bush, ready to burst forth...
[it's parent would be 80 if still alive...]
as the old becomes new again with the spring...



a perfect time to spend with old friends...