In The Good Old Summertime

The Bush Cherry produced a nice crop of cherries, which I was able to eat this year, thanks to the bird netting:

 They were smaller than the tree cherries but still pretty darn tasty:

 My little garden produced a bumper crop of yellow Asiatic Lilies:

 And the Cliff Swallow parents have been tending to their nest although I still don't see or hear any babies in there:

 The Elderberries inside the old silo base had a rough winter and I hoped they'd survive. But they did more than survive - they flourished, producing a bumper crop of blossoms:

 Intricate, lacy Elderberry flowers:

 And Black-Eyed Susans burst into bloom all along the local roadsides:

 This weed has been growing around the barn for years, places where not much else would grow. It flowered this summer, allowing me to search for its identity. I finally found it, and learned that it is Common Mallow, a member of the Hibiscus or Mallow family:

 Sadly, the apple trees and flowering crab trees are sick, and dropping their leaves and fruit. The pear tree too is suffering, though not as badly:

 The cherry tree, however, did just fine:

 And the bantam hens are healthy and living a life of ease inside the barn where, I hope, they are safe from predators:

 I finally got two fantails pigeons to go outdoors but it was a hot day and I began to wonder if they were smart enough to get off the hot metal roof and back inside where they could cool off their feet. Happily, they were smart enough (after awhile):

Moving From Spring Into Summer

The apple blossoms lasted only five days but the Lilacs went for weeks. They began winding down about Memorial Day:

 They were both beautiful and fragrant, so I wanted a few more photos of them before they were gone for another year:

 I covered the Bush Cherry with bird netting. By the way, that's an Apricot tree just to the left of it, which has not yet produced a flower. The Bush Cherry and two plums, planted at the same time, are producing nicely:

 Here's a closeup of the tiny cherries getting started under the netting. I don't yet know if it will prevent the birds from eating them all, but I'm hopeful. What I can say for sure is that the netting is difficult to mow around:

The Prairie Rose flowering crab didn't bloom much this year and the other flowering crab barely bloomed at all:

 Only one side of the tree blossomed, but that side was nice:

 There were so many gaps in my new perennial garden that I bought more Iris and Asiatic Lilies to fill in the gaps. While planting them, I was shocked to discover that I had lots of roots and bulbs underground which were starting, but not up yet. I planted around them as best I could, and smoothed out the soil. I'll leave it alone now:

 Since I was on a planting binge this year, I went down to a local nursery and purchased a Variegated leaf Weigela. It had survived a rough winter, unprotected in that pot at the nursery, so I figured it would be hardy. It will have bright pink flowers soon (I hope):

 I liked the Weigela so much that I also bought a Magic Carpet Spirea. It has golden leaves with bright pink tips where the new leaves are forming. It too will have bright reddish pink flowers when it blooms - and it too is hardy:

 And speaking of Spirea, the old fashioned Bridal Veil Spirea began blooming just as the Lilacs began fading. This bush was just getting started when I snapped the photo:

 Here's a closeup. These bushes are very old and very hardy, blooming faithfully every spring. They are the old fashioned type, not the type with double flowers, but I can't see how there would be much room for improvement on these beauties:

 The yellow Dandelions faded and turned to magical seed heads. Spring is turning into summer at a rapid pace. I keep thinking that my farm, with its plants and animals, is a place which my mother would have loved if she were still alive. In fact, I think I am subconsciously aiming to please her. Maybe she's looking down and smiling her approval: