I love spring. Everything is fresh, flushing, and filled with flowers. Each morning when I wander around my yard, I find a new set of blooms on one of my fruit trees. The mango and avocado are loaded with buds, the jaboticaba and lychee are just starting to flower, and I even saw the first blooms ever on the olive tree.

On one of my morning meanders, flowers weren’t the only thing I found. The star fruit tree has been fruiting all winter and as I headed over to pick a few, I saw these:

Very suspicious. Over the last month, there has been a lot of talk about snow and cold, and of course Abby and Maddy are always jealous that everyone around the country gets to play in snow except them. I, for one, am glad to not have to deal with it, but they don’t know any better. So, I assume that they are planning some sort of sand-ball fight and I just hope that I am not the one who gets attacked. Every now and then, when it gets quiet outside and I can’t see where the girls are, I wait to hear a projectile launched in my direction.

But I was afraid for nothing, as it turns out. I was informed in a most matter-of-fact way that what I saw are actually dragon eggs. The girls are tending to them and hoping that they will hatch soon. Apparently, a flock of hens and a cute little puppy are not enough pets for them. So now we are going to be dragon parents. They couldn’t quite answer when I asked where the dragons would sleep, but I guess having a dragon around would be good for starting fires, excellent for security, and probably a great help at digging holes for new plantings. So come on, dragons, hatch! There is work to be done in the garden.

And remember that some of that garden work is done by pollinators. When I look closely at the flowers on my fruit trees, I am amazed at the variety of insects gathering pollen. It isn’t just bees, either. Moths, butterflies, beetles, and flies all play a part in moving pollen from one flower to another. Without these precious pollinators, our fruit and veggie harvests would be severely diminished. Our Care Guide on Planting for Pollinators gives you a few tips for making your yard more friendly for pollinators. And with spring in full swing, there are tons of beautiful flowers at the nursery that are perfect for a pollinator party. Come see us to get it started.