Spring - I never tire of it!!

I took these photos about 2 weeks ago, and I'll take more soon. This stage of each spring is just fascinating to me, though - the very beginning of everything becoming new again! Even though we had a very mild winter, these are still wonderful to see.

This is the oak that doesn't lose its leaves in fall. Its leaves all turn a pretty reddish-brown and then brown, and then they hang on the tree all winter! The first year I lived here, I thought I had killed it! But this is what it looks like when the new leaves begin to show - pushing out the old brown ones. It'll become very thick and green, of course. It's a fantastic tree.

Here's where all that yellow pollen (dust) comes from - and with so many of these pines all over the area, in the forests and in yards, the yellow dust gets everywhere!

This gap, just to the left of the sego palm there, is where I lost a tree last year. No matter what I did, no matter how much extra water I gave it - I lost it. When the guys were taking it down, I could see that it didn't stand a chance. The inside was hollow and rotted - no amount of water could have saved it.

And here's that oak tree again, the same tree as in the 2nd photo above. Four days later, and what a difference! Those leaves come in fast when they decide to come in!!

Spring ... again!

All the same kinds of things are happening, of course, as last year. ~~> NEW LEAVES

It's all wondrous to me, after living in the desert for well over 30 years, to watch this happen each year. I took the first photo below just after my gardener cut the agapanthus almost down to the ground. All its leaves had turned to mush during all the freezes we had this winter.

Feb 26, 2011 - just cut back

Today - new growth is good and healthy!

All the day lilies (the little plants under the trees) had disappeared during the freezes.

They've started their regrowth, too.

Leaves, leaves, brand new leaves!

I love this time of year. Nights are still on the cool side, and daytimes are just lovely. No humidity yet. Beautiful! And trees are getting their brand new leaves after the long, cold, sometimes dreary winter. What a joy!

The first three are photos of the new leaves on my crape myrtle trees. Pretty soon they'll be all leafed out and then they'll start thinking about their beautiful pink blooms. I love these trees.



These are the new leaves on my Laurel Oak. At least that's what I think this tree is, according to Randy Lemmon's description. In the fall, its leaves turn reddish brown for about a day or two and then hang on the tree all winter, looking dead and brown. They really don't lose those old leaves until the new ones (here looking rather goldish in color) push the old ones out. These new leaves will be a beautiful bright green in a few weeks.

These are the leaves on an ash tree - I can't tell from Randy's description if it's a green ash or a white ash tree - but it's not Arizona ash, thank heaven. I'm very allergic to Arizona ash trees.

All the trees in my back yard except the crape myrtles were left in place by the builder. They are all native to eastern Texas forests, and I love them all. In addition to this oak and ash tree, there is one other oak, one other ash, two pine trees, and one cluster of trees called Yaupon Holly. I love my back yard!!