Photobucket made some changes and doesn't seem as easy to use as it used to be.

Those pictures look like they could be from my yard. I have a dark purple iris blooming also. It's the only one blooming so far and it's a surprise for me because I don't remember planting it where it is. lol I'm sure it wasn't there last year. Lots of buds on my other ones. Hope it didn't get cold enough last night to ruin them.
My first Baltimroe Oriole showed up here on the 24th, a week earlier than last year. I now have been seeing two males and either one or two females. One of the females has been coming to my Oriole feeder but the males haven't yet. They like the real oranges I've been putting out for them.

So far, the Orioles have been very fleeting. I did see the male again this morning at the HB feeder.

We got some frost here and there on the flower beds, but I don't think it hurt anything. I have buds on a few iris too and on the peonies.

I still have a bushel basket of growing iris I salvaged from the rotted ones last fall that I need to get in the ground!

BTW, I have been seeing an ad in the paper for Karen and Nancy's Iris again...this time selling narcissus as cut flowers...wonder if they will be selling iris again.

My purple iris are blooming also and purple and white iris. There seems to be so many more blooms this year. Have you noticed more than normal amount of blooms or did mine decide to be extra nice to me this year. LOL

I haven't checked here for awhile. Glad I did. You reminded me...my DH saw an Oriole at my hummingbird feeder Sunday afternoon while I was napping. He said it couldn't get it's beak into the holes. I need to find my other feeder. Maybe it would work better.

I have no Iris opened yet, but lots of big buds. Some of mine have lots of buds, others have very few.
I do have two clematis open...Asaos. Lovely pink blooms.

I thought my Red-leafed Japanese maple was a goner from last April's hard freeze, but it is putting up a lot of growth from the bottom.( All of the top was killed.) I sent for another last year, from Vernon Barnes. I had it in a bucket of potting soil with all the rest of my shipment, and stored in the wellhouse all winter. I potted it up a few days ago. It is leafing out and has much fernier leaves than the old one.
I potted up all the rest of the shipment, and everything is starting to grow, except the pink dogwood.

Marian, the orioles can eat out of the plastic flowers on one feeder but not the metal ones on the other. I am seeing them daily now.

My first clematis to bloom is pink too, but I am not sure of the name. I had a marker but it seems to be gone now.

I still haven't planted any of my things, but sure need to get busy now.

My magnolia Stellata now has a cluster of green around the base after having nary a leaf last year!

Love those Orioles. I am waiting to see one here. We had them last year.
And yes, I think the Iris are extra beautiful this year. I've been seeing them around town and my own are not as puny as usual.
Anise