I finished pruning the roses, which I started doing a few days ago. The most dramatic changes are with Heritage, which was up to 6' tall by maybe 5' wide, and Habitat for Humanity, which had many long arched canes, some more than 8' tall. I am concerned for several hybrid teas, such as all three Double Delights and Moonstone which, after pruning, either have no canes above the mulch or just one. But the unhealthy canes had to be removed. You can see the main rose bed pruned below. Also, I am including pictures from yesterday of the stalk crabapple tree's blossoms.

Yesterday my wife reported that the 'Lady Banks' rose bush has some small buds, and indeed that's so! I had a neighbor who used to say that there was one day when suddenly our wooded backyards would fill in - I think today was that day. I finished pruning the roses along the driveway. The white azaleas are about to open, and the stalk apple trees are blooming! The kerria japonica and flowering almonds are at about peak bloom, and the hyacinths are so heavy that most are lying down on the ground! Here, you can see pictures of 'Lady Banks' blossoms, blueberry blossoms, forsythia, and the back yard.

My white azaleas are starting to open! I began pruning my roses, getting through the top end of my main rose bed and working down to, but not including, 'Heritage'. Though 'Double Delight', at the end of the bed, looked good, after pruning out damaged canes, little is left - I hope that she comes back okay.

The cherry tree is pretty much leafed out with just a few blossoms left; it's such a lovely and transient sight to see the tree covered in blooms. Yesterday, I noticed three or four Eastern tent caterpillar nests in crotches high up in the tree; I removed the nests and hope that birds will enjoy the exposed caterpillars.

Oh, great news - my wife reported and I confirmed that 'Lady Banks' has some small buds! We'll have roses soon!

I guess that the cherry tree peaked in bloom on Friday or Saturday. Now, it is rapidly leafing, as is our backyard. We have a wooded backyard and each year it seems like within a week or so we go from bare trees with some redbuds glowing to a green privacy fence. Kerria Japonica is blooming more fully and the hyacinths in the front are getting pretty top heavy and deliciously fragrant! The curbside shrubs - yellow forsythia, red quince, and lovely pink flowering almond - are all blooming.

Spring is here! The cherry tree is gorgeous, near peak. The roses are quickly leafing out and, now that the forsythia is blooming, it's time to prune them. The blueberry blossoms are pretty, kerria japonica ("Japanese rose") is opening, and the hyacinths that I planted this past fall are opening.

We had very nice weather into the low 80s today. I pruned my two non-stalk apple trees moderately to central leaders. My forsythia is just starting to bloom, so soon it will be time to prune my roses, most of which are starting to wake up from their winter slumber. The blueberry has been blooming for a few weeks now! The new hyacinths that I planted in the side yard near Lady Banks Rose (she is nicely beginning to leaf out and I need to get a support for her) are opening.