This week in the garden - #58

The big news in the garden this week is that we got some much-needed rain. Over the 48-hour period of Tuesday and Wednesday, we got two inches, which made all of my plants - and me - very happy.

The even better news is that the extended forecast shows that we have a chance of more rain next week. Let's hope it doesn't evaporate.

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There were some firsts in the garden this week.

The first sweet basil seedlings are up.

The first 'Dortmund' rose is open.

So is the first David Austin rose, 'Molineux.'

The first oleander blossom is open.

These are not actually the first strawberries of the season but they are among the first.

And this is almost the first sweetspire bloom. Maybe by next week it will be fully open.

Also, today, I planted my first zucchini and lemon squash seeds of the season.

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And then there are the continuations.

Like this crossvine that continues to bloom.

This is the penultimate bloom of the 'Mabel Bryant' camellia. She has one more bud that has yet to open.

When the mandevilla blossom first opens, it is this bright pink color.

But as the blossom ages, it fades to this lighter pink. I quite like it in both of its iterations.

 My favorite new plant of the season, the blue hibiscus, continues to offer up these lovely flowers.

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I always seem to be showing you pictures from my backyard, because, frankly, that's where I spend most of my time. But I do have a front yard, too. It isn't quite as large as the backyard and it is shaded by large oak trees and one magnolia tree.

The beds around the front of my house, near the entry, have fallen on hard times. Some plants had died and others were misplaced and needed to be moved. I've been working on that a bit over the last few weeks. There's still more to do, but here's what it looks like now.

This is the view from about halfway between the house and the street. That's an old magnolia tree in the foreground.

Moving in a bit closer to the beds.

 This is the bed near the front entry to the house.

Another view of that bed.

There's lots of work to be done here. I'll show you how things progress in coming months.