Venturing down into the backyard swamp, though, I can get a good look at Hyacinthoides hispanica, Spanish bluebells, that are just starting to bloom.

They look great next to the unknown euphorbia my neighbor Martha gave me when I had little more than mud and weeds to cope with (I thought for a long time it might be the variety commonly known as “graveyard spurge,” which is an invasive species, but to my relief, it’s not. It will spread like the dickens, though.)

And Iris ‘Eco Easter’ is starting to unfurl. Its petite, pale blue flowers are sweet looking even when weatherbeaten by the recent heavy rains.

It grows about 12 inches high for me and spreads rapidly in the loose soil of this bed, but is quite manageable. I’m glad to have plenty of it to play with. I do hope to manage it effectively this year, and create clusters rather than long, thin ribbons of plants. I have many such tasks on the to-do list, though, and I am better at rearranging the furniture later on than avoiding the mess in the first place.

Still no sign of Arisaema triphyllum, jack in the pulpit. But Halesia carolina, Carolina silverbell, is leafing out charmingly. I’m looking forward to watching this beauty grow.