Sping Has Sprung - a neighborhood walk

I usually do most of my walking during the winter months, so getting out for a spring walk feels like a bit of a rarity. The garden was still soaked from a night of rain, and a light drizzle hung in the air, so I decided to get exercise elsewhere. 

The first things that caught my eye were the groundcovers, profuse blooming carpets.

Creeping Phlox (Phlox subulata)

Candytuft (Iberis sempervirens)

Lithodora

I'm not sure what this groundcover is with the tiny, daisy flowers. I suspect that it is native. This garden has habitat signs, nice plants and landscaping.

Lilacs are very popular in the neighborhood and I saw several -

I'm a sucker for plants falling over walls, and this camellia caught my eye -

Dogwoods are another popular tree. The one in our garden is just beginning to show color on the buds. These were in farther along -

A gorgeous Japanese maple and azaleas -

My favorite garden along my route. I remember this stunning Darwin's barberry (Berberis darwinii) last year. 

A more adventurous garden along the route. This one has a Monkey Puzzle Tree -

On my way back, I walked by the track behind the middle school at the end of our street. I noticed this massive tree blooming - it looks like a pear or maybe cherry. I did not know they grew this large. I wonder how old it is -

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy