In the Yard Today

This afternoon I took a short walk around my yard to see how spring is progressing.

I saw many signs of spring.

aphids, roses, rose buds, spring, yardMy first rose buds are appearing, but also lots of aphids. I am debating on whether to go buy some ladybugs. However, in other places I saw evidence of ladybugs at work, so I may give it a few more days before deciding.

yellow rose bud, roses, spring, first rosesAnother rose bush had a nice rose bud that is just starting to open. You can tell that the rose will be yellow 🙂

coccoon, moth, butterfly, spring, yardIn my side yard I found a cocoon on a branch that I had cut from a tree. I wonder whether it will be a moth or a butterfly. I will have to keep an eye on it to see if I can catch it opening

spring leaves, trees, springLeaves are appearing on my trees and they are greening up. They will soon be providing some nice shade.

dandelions, spring, weeds, bee foodThere were also a lot of dandelions in the yard. I had fun picking some and blowing the seeds off of them. I am OK with having dandelions in my yard as I know that they are good food for bees and other pollinators.

I have heard that it is good to let you grass grow a bit longer in the spring to help provide food for emerging pollinators and other insects. I am sticking with that story as to why I haven’t mowed my yard for a couple weeks.

Steven

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Shinjuku Gyoen Greenhouse

On my Recovery Day in Tokyo I visited the Shinjuku Gyoen Greenhouse.

Shinjuku gyoen, greenhouse, gardens, horticultureWhile traveling I often like to visit botanical gardens or parks as it is really interesting to see different plant life from around the world.

flowers, greenhouse, plants, horticultureI don’t have time to do research tonight as to what each of the plants are in the post, I am simply going to share some of my favorite images.

There were a lot of different flowers similar to the one above and I do want to find out more about them sometime. Perhaps I will write another post when I do some research.

tropical plant, greenhouse, Japan, Shinjuku greenhouseThis flower looks like a vase. It will be interesting to find out more about this one.

greenhouse, plants, water, shinjuku gyoen, horticultureI like the reflections in this picture. There were several water features in the greenhouse, including a waterfall.

Water lily, greenhouse, tropical plants, shinjuku gyoenI really liked these water lilies. They were very beautiful.

I hope you enjoyed this very brief look at the greenhouse.

Steven

 

 

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