The first official day of Spring

After an incredibly warm day in Americus yesterday, high in the 80's, today is a comfortable 76 degrees on the porch.Today is the first official day of spring and the dogwood trees have just started blooming.
The saucer magnolia is greening up

but there are still quite a few beautiful blossoms on the trees.

The knock-out roses are putting on quite a show.

I noticed a strong sweet fragrance in the air near the parking area.

From the balcony of the balcony suite I located the source - wisteria!

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Have a happy day!

A Beautiful March Day in Americus

Although the weather was perfect today, the contractor had another project that needed attention, so the workers did not come. They weren't here yesterday, either. But, that gave me a little time to enjoy the yard/garden and Kim has been working on touch up paint and caulk. When I looked out at the pond, several of the cats seemed very interested in what was under the surface. Unfortunately for one of the fish, one of the cats was successful in catching a big one. The leaves are starting to come in on the magnolias and the blooms are disappearing. The saucer magnolias are still gorgeous.
The society garlic is budding.


The ruby lorapetalum is still all covered in flowers.

The weeping cherry is prettier than ever.

And, every day, there are more iris.

This is truly the most beautiful time of the year in Americus. Wish you were here enjoying it with us. For the first roses of 2011, please visit us on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Americus-Garden-Inn-Bed-and-Breakfast/130302087040764

A Quick Garden Stroll in Americus

Every day, I make a point of taking the time to smell the roses, or, whatever else might be blooming in the garden. While waiting for our guests to return from their day's outings, I took a few photos for you to see. Remember to click the photos for a larger view. I just love this plant.
It's the curly filbert.

Right now, it is still leafless.

But, you can truly enjoy its beautiful form.

The saucer magnolias are still blooming.

I can't believe how pretty the weeping cherry is this year.

The ruby lorapetalum are still gorgeous.

You can see the plum tree is blooming and the oakleaf hydrangea is leafing out.

This caught me totally by surprise.

I was looking out the window of the Library Suite.

They weren't blooming yesterday.

But, today, the white iris have arrived.

Thanks for taking the time to join me in the garden at the Americus Garden Inn. Hope you are having a great day.

The First of July Hummingbird Tour of Americus Garden Inn

While waiting for our guests to arrive, I saw a hummingbird and grabbed the camera.I followed the hummingbird around the garden.
The hummingbird went from one bed of flowers to the next.

I followed and tried to get a good angle.

The hummingbird seemed to sample every type of flower in the garden.

But, every time I tried to take a picture, he had already moved on.

However, I didn't realize we had new buds on the saucer magnolia.

Or that the lythrum has really filled in beautifully.

The bed of stargazer lilies has exploded with blooms so fragrant you can enjoy them throughout the garden.

And, the crinum lilies continue to flourish in several beds scattered through the garden

Last, but not least, a single water lily is closing its petals for the evening.

Thanks for checking out the hummingbird tour. Hopefully, next time I'll actually get a picture of the hummingbird!

June 1st in the Garden

What a busy weekend it was! Although there is lots to do, I wanted to take a stroll with you through the garden. It has been raining the past few days and everything is growing like crazy.Looking towards the koi pond, the vitex tree is on the left, sago palms in front, and the canna lilies in the far back.
The bee balm just started to open. Last year, the hummingbirds adored these flowers.

In context, the bee balm neighbors the pink echinacea which is loved by butterflies.

On the side of the house, the oakleaf hydrangea has turned from white to pink. The plum tree beside it is loaded with fruit. I'll post those photos soon.

The white crepe myrtle trees all over Americus are in full bloom. Downtown is beautiful as the crepe myrtles line the streets. The pink crepe myrtles are just starting to open.

Through the stone arch in the front of the house, the pink echinacea is filling out the space along with some wild gladiolas.

In the side yard, the orange canna lilies ridiculously tall and the red have just started to bloom profusely.

These are the Mexican petunias. The flowers open in the morning and drop off towards the afternoon.

The hydrangeas are so happy that we have had all this rain. We have had really hot weather and they do not tolerate the heat unless they have lots of water.

My absolute favorite variety of black-eyed susans.

These daylilies showed up amongst the Happy Returns daylilies, which are pure yellow. I hope these continue to bloom all summer like the others.

The miniature gardenias have responded to the rain with lots of flowers.

This was truly a surprise! One of the saucer magnolias is blooming, again.

I'm ending today's tour with "little business" daylilies. Speaking of which, I'd better get back to work.

All of these photos were taken this morning right after our guests had breakfast. Thanks for sharing a few minutes of your day with me. Come stay with us at the Americus Garden Inn Bed & Breakfast to enjoy the garden for yourself. You can check availability online or call us at 229-931-0122 for reservations. Hope to see you soon.