Even more springtime blooms

I've been working on a needlework project that I really enjoyed this week, because it's a gift for a dear childhood friend. I'll be sure to get the photos up here just as soon as I know the gift has made it to her in the mail.

In the meantime, here are some pretty shots of the blooming that is still going on around our house. We've got a row of purple leaf sand cherry shrubs in our back yard:

I love the pretty blossoms they grow each spring. They have the sweetest smell!

Last year, these plants were a popular gathering place when a wave of Japanese beetles hit town. They munched the whole hedge into swiss cheese. I couldn't find any beetles today, but I'm afraid they may be around, since I found this:

Maybe we'll have to dig out our beetle trap and hope for the best again this year!

I think the recent heat wave tricked my lilac into producing these early flowers:

I grew up in Rochester, NY, which hosts a Lilac Festival every May, so these make me feel right at home.

We have some new rhododendron flowers this week:

And the eastern red bud is getting prettier every day:

Ironically, I don't remember these little forget-me-nots from last year — aren't they charming?