Photo Friday #1

I come from a family of green thumbs.  My grandfather planted vegetables in his back yard.  My mother always had a beautiful flower garden.  If I had the space and the money I'd also create a paradise of colours in the yard.  Today I'm featuring flowering trees and shrubs are common in many neighbourhoods in and around my city.

Trees in Bloom

One of my favourite plants is the lilac.  Its sweet-smelling flowers that bloom in late May and early June are a sure sign of approaching summer.  Hummingbirds are sometimes attracted to it.

The spiky pods of the horse-chestnut tree can be seen as a nuisance, and the nuts are slightly toxic, but the beautiful spring flowers make up for that.  This type of tree was the one that Anne Frank wrote about in her famous diary.

The star magnolia is native to Japan and is easily identified by the showy blooms that appear before the leaves open. 

What are some types of flowers that you like to see or have in a garden?