Strawberry Jam and a Look at Spring

The Fall Flowering Cherry is blooming.  I think this might be the latest it has ever bloomed.

 I found strawberries for sale for 99 cents a container so I bought ten of them and made jam for the shelter.

 I combine the berries with a bit of sugar.  I used about 1-1/4 cups of sugar for the entire batch.  You cover the pot and turn it on medium.  Check it often so it doesn't boil over.  As soon as it begins to boil, uncover it and let it simmer, stirring occasionally until it begins to thicken. This made almost 5 quarts.  I made 100 biscuits to go with this for the shelter's breakfast this morning.  Of course, I forgot to take pics of them.

Teddy and I took a walk through the lower gardens to see what is growing after the rain.

 It's amazing what a Spring rain coaxes out of the ground.

 The hostas are peeking out from beneath the dead leaves.  The creek will be turned on soon.

 I can not figure out why blogger is loading my photos out of order?

 The daffodils are still blooming nicely.

 The Katsuras are starting to open.

 So are the Oakleaf Hydrangeas.

 Teddy gets her usual drink of fish water.

  The chard is always one of the first things to pop up.

 My rhubarb is not dead after all.

 I planted these red raspberries last year.  I am hoping this year they will produce some fruit.

 More daffodils.

 The apples are blooming.

 The Service Berries are about to bloom but the birds always get the berries before I get to them.

 Iron bats on the fence.

 Irises.

 Teddy still insists on entering the raised garden through the doors even though the new trees have not formed a wall yet.

 In two more years these trees should grow together and once again the raised garden will be separated from the rest.

 Teddy says phfffttt to winter.

More things to plant.