On the agenda for this weekend was the first round of the annual mulch project. The areas seen in the photo above that are carved out at the base of each individual plant will get a fresh layer of mulch. I'm continuing with the same pattern I have been using for several years where everything but the Yellow Flag irises will get black mulch, and the irises will get red mulch. But before getting started, I like to take my usual stroll around the yard to see what's happening.

The daffodils have been blooming since late February and still look great.

The crocus bulbs finished a few weeks ago. But the daffodils are still going strong. I started seeing blooms around February 21. That means the photos above from March 13 indicate they have been blooming for 22 days.

The Blue Bells, (I think ?), also look great.

Close up of the Blue Bells with a daffodil overhead.

Close up of the Blue Bells with a daffodil overhead.

I thought they looked nice and snapped a few pics.

I believe this is a grape hyacinth, but I'm not sure. This is another straggler I found in the backyard and moved to this location a few years ago.

The Chinese Snowball still looks somewhat droopy. But the buds are growing.

The buds are getting bigger, and will soon turn white.

The Reeves Spireas should also be turning white very soon.

Reeves Spireas.

The recently stabilized Windmill Palm tree looks fine.

The Cleveland Select Flowering Pear tree is starting to turn white.

I see more and more blooms with each passing year.

This tree was labeled as "Fast" growing. I can confirm.

I'm lousy at guessing. But the pear tree is probably around 25-30 feet tall.

The gifted bearded iris I planted last summer is growing. Hopefully, it will bloom.

The Japanese Camellia is actually three separate plants that have grown together.

Two of the three flower in pink, and one flowers in dark red, which makes for a great contrast.

The Star Magnolia continues to bloom.

This is another plant that didn't do a whole lot for the first few years after I planted it. Now, it seems to be growing at a much faster rate.

The Bridal Wreath Spirea looks great. Hopefully, it will turn white very soon.

Not much happening with the driveway azaleas yet.

The Buckeye tree in the backyard is awake for the season.

It turns green each spring, but has never flowered. I wonder if I have it planted in the wrong spot. But either way, it's green and growing.

I admire my neighbor's magnolia tree each spring.

I believe this is some kind of magnolia tree, but I'm not sure. All I know is that it looks great.

I've come to regard this tree as one of the centerpieces of the neighborhood.

A beautiful sight each spring.

Since Lowe's was nice enough to put it on sale this weekend, I was happy to relieve them of 40 bags of black mulch. Getting all of that home was a little more involved. I don't have the Cirrus anymore, and the Z4 is tiny. That leaves the XJS to serve as the mulch hauler. I can fit 8 bags comfortably. Five trips later, I was ready to face the day.

I broke out the wheelbarrow and started spreading.

The plan for this year is the same as it has been since I started using different colors of mulch. Everything but the Yellow Flag irises gets black mulch, and the irises get red mulch.

I had to add a couple of bags of garden soil around the Windmill Palm tree at the start of this season after it developed a pronounced lean. I'm hoping the layer of black mulch around the palm tree will help stabilize it even further.

The crape myrtles (left side of the photo above), and the newly relocated Eleanor Tabor Indian Hawthorn all got a fresh layer of black mulch.

The Otto Luyken Cherry Laurel, the maple tree, and the Goldmound Spireas all got a fresh layer of black mulch.

The gifted Windmill Palm tree from a few years ago got a layer of black mulch. All of the irises behind it will get red mulch.

The Star Magnolia and Silver European Fan Palm tree got black mulch.

The Dogwood Cherokee Princess tree was the last plant to get black mulch before I had spread all 40 bags. But I still have a few areas remaining, (gladiolus, Husker Red Beardtongues, ornamental grasses, dogwood tree, and pampas grass). In other words, I'll probably need 40 more bags !