emerging

Checking up one what's growing is one of the thrills of spring.

My lilac bush always looks so promising with its flush of young leaves.

One of the hydrangea has fat green buds ready to bust open with new growth. The other one doesn't, but it's still green under the bark so I hope it is still healthy too.

The mums are mounds of dead sticks- I cut them back an inch to the ground recently- but showing signs of green!

Deep in the heart of the aster there are signs of life, too.

I almost didn't see these coming up- because of the ruddy color it blends in with the leaf mulch-

 it's the astilbes.

Turtlehead!

Also coming up but I didn't get a photo: the peony.