Do you remember this ugly tree?

That was last fall, and the picture below was Thursday morning, May 8th.

Then these two amazing men came to cut it, and a few others.

They have just cut the Tree of Heaven down and are sawing it up.

Simone is climbing up to start cutting the walnut.

The top and two limbs are sawed off.

It was a big job that took from 1:30 in the afternoon until 6:30 at night.

Now I have lots of wood to cut,

and brush to burn.

The view that evening,

and the next morning made the $500 cost seem like a bargain.

I’ll be thankful every day.

Wildflowers abound in the Smoky Mountains, as well as on my property. Trout Lilies (dogtooth violets) have grown here for years, but this is the first time I’ve notice them when they bloom.

Purple violets are common, but I still let them grow anywhere except in the garden spaces.

Very few on my property are actually yellow.

Most numerous of all are these white violets. They cover the bank behind my garage.

Bloodroot is another pretty wildflower that pops up here and there.

These yellow trillium were given to me by a friend in Tennessee. They have flourished here, and have been shared with many neighbors. The yellow blossom has a lovely lemon scent.

They grow wild in this area also.

The apple tree has never been so full of blossoms.

This black swallowtail is enjoying the nectar.

The candytuft has become hills of white blooms.

The redbuds in the picture are at their peak. The next day there was a red carpet of blossoms covering the driveway.

The wild dogwood trees were full, but the hybrid pink and red dogwoods had very few blooms.

The azaleas are just starting to bloom here, and the rhododendrons have only a few starting to come out.

They all need to be cut back. Maybe a few will get done this year.

These are planted around my kerosene tank to help hide it. They are in the back yard so few people see them, but I enjoy looking at them while I hang up clothes.

This is one of my favorites. It was cut back last year, but needs more.

Periwinkle keeps invading this azalea, as well as all the ones along the front below my deck.