Spring Foliage

Taking a walk around the Pines you'll find more than evergreen trees. Going up the side and back of the yard, before you get to our woods, you'll find a ton of foliage that blooms, produces fruit, or will give you poison ivy if you're not careful! Sometimes you'll run into some surprises...Every Spring I find this crazy climbing rose bush in bloom. It only blooms once so it's a gift when they open. It's in the back of the yard near where the wood pile used to be.
The blooms are very pretty and if this area wasn't so shaded, they might even bloom more than once. Or maybe if I pruned them and treated them more like I would the roses I have near the house they would do better. I don't know. I like seeing the wildness of them and wonder why they were there in the first place.
I don't always know what everything is called, but I enjoy the view anyway.
I've blogged about this area a million times this year. This is the entrance to the Creepy Woods and it looks like it would be a lovely path to follow. Deceiving...
The path then turns to this...overgrown. If I would bring up the big weed wacker I could get it under control, but since we don't wander up here in the summer, I like to wait until the fall when it's cooler, less buggy and I'm anticipating a haunted hike for Halloween..more fun!
It's starts to get more lush, dark and, well just a bit creepy, as you go farther in..so I think I'll just turn around and head back!
At the back of the yard, although you can't tell by this photo, there is a path just to the right that will take you to a different entrance to the Creepy Woods. It's lined with black raspberry bushes and elderberry trees. If you can brave the bugs and mosquitoes to pick them, a jam and jelly fest is sure to start!
Getting closer to the house and right near the veggie garden we planted raspberry bushes. I love making jam with them and it looks like a good crop this year! If I can keep the deer away...
Around the house in the front we have a rhododendron bush. The blooms on a rhododendron don't last forever so I wanted to snap a pic of this before it was done. They are so pretty and it's a shame they can't stay like this all summer. Maybe I would take this beauty for granted if it was always around.
We've been redoing the deck this past week..as I was getting ready with the paint Jack spotted this little guy hanging around. I'd seen him before, hanging on the back door and once on the window that looks into my kitchen. Hope he'll enjoy the deck better after the paint job! I know I will.