Lilacs in full bloom April 18th 2012

There you have it Lilacs in Mid April! The Lilacs actually started bloom on the 9th of the month before that big cold snap arrived. I was stunned to see that most plants were fine and were not harmed despite us getting a freeze 3 nights in a row. The lilac pictured above was dug up potted last spring from bushes in my hometown yard. It was planted the ground in summer of last year and this year it is blooming, which is quite interesting becuase they normally take a few years to develop roots before they will flower. Lilacs normally bloom a couple weeks before Memorial day in May here in southern Minnesota.

 Backyard view April 17th 2012

Here is the backyard as of this week. The red maple to the left slightly I planted in August when I started college has leafed out nicely and is now in full leaf! I am excited to watch this small tree grow into a great shade tree. In the yard flowers that normally bloom in Early Summer are blooming now, Perennial Geraniums have started, peony have buds and Hostas are fully leafed out. Spring bulbs like Tulips and Daffodils are on the fast decline or have completed faded. I have already begun to prep pots for summer blooming annuals!

3rd story view.

This is a canopy view of the neighborhood, It looks much like summer! Most trees now have full sized leaves on them, there are only a few species which have little or no leaves yet, some are Ash, Walnut and Hackberry.

Crabapple trees near St Marys Park April 15th

Crabapples are still the main show in many spots of the city, there are some very beautiful streets in Rochester becuase they are completely lined with crab-apples. It really looks and smell great!

Crab apple by St Marys Park April 18th

Here is another crab apple filled completely with flowers. I believe this is a Spring Snow variety.