Spring Sights at Home

Now that we have our Calendar of Firsts ready and awaiting new entries, I find that the children and I are even more attuned to the new sights around our own yard each week--each day even!  And spring is a wonderful time to be watching, as it seems like there is so much happening.  A few of our entries from the last couple weeks:

 Pink evening primroses (Oenothera speciosa) -- these pop up in our front yard bed of Alyssum every spring.  They appeared in the next neighborhood a week before ours.  My daughter has been wondering why: "Maybe it's a little warmer there? Or more windy?"  I'm not sure, but I do know that we probably wouldn't have noticed if we hadn't been keeping our nature calendar! ;)

I just found out that the bushes on our side yard are popularly called Mexican Orange Blossom (Choisya ternata).  They first bloomed about a month or two ago and are starting to dry out now.  They are repeat bloomers, though, so I think we'll have flowers all summer.

I think this is a purple variety of Hebe.  It doesn't look as nice once the flowers all dry out, but at this time of year, its subtle color and fuzzy blooms are very sweet--and a favorite place for the bees. 

A hidden periwinkle by the back fence (Vinca major)--first blooming this week.

 Another new sight this week: the White African Irises (Dietes iridioides) are back!

Oh, and this lovely plant has an equally lovely name: Pink Breath of Heaven.  So much nicer than Coleonema pulchellum, no?  :)   And another reason it's my daughters' favorite: it's currently a ladybug magnet!

This little lady is now happily at home in the rock-house my boys made for her and her friends this morning...we'll see if they decide to get comfortable or be on their way. ;)  As for the bush, this one is in bloom and has been since Holy Week, but the one on the other side of the yard has no blooms at all.  Very curious.

Looking forward to seeing what tomorrow brings around the yard!