Garden delights

The weather forecast was favorable for a trip to Butchart Gardens even if it was early to enjoy the spectacular full blooms of springtime. There’s always something wonderful and the Japanese garden was just the ticket.

The garden invites lingering and fills the senses. The spot where I took this shot was next to a small stream that filled a bamboo spout with water and caused it to fall and empty with a pleasing sound and rhythm.

This spot was not far from where we sat. Notice the bush in front of the red bridge here, another delight for the senses.

Daphne odora was in bloom, a spring scent that lifts me close to heaven. Our little bush hasn’t bloomed this year so it was glorious to find a number of these wonderful bushes in bloom in the gardens. We sat close enough to these blossoms to inhale them to our hearts’ content.

Early spring

You know it’s been a long winter when a neighbor walking by gets excited to discover a tiny iris that’s popped up in our yard. This diminutive flower is no more than 3 inches (7.6 cm) high and it’s a volunteer that grows in a bed of miniature daffodils.

The daffodils aren’t ready yet, nor are our crocus. After all, they were under a foot of snow only 10 days ago.