New in the pleasure grounds today

There are buds, many buds, on the one-dollar clematis plants. No color is showing yet, but there were no flower buds yesterday. There are also some ranunculus buds for the first time, but no color is showing yet. Turk's cap leaves are showing for the first time since the run of cold weather that caused Turk's cap plants to drop their old leaves. All pear flowers went down in the winds, and so did most, but not all, redbud flowers. The winds felled some trees in the neighborhood and caused damage to others. City electric trucks and tree crews are to be seen here and there. A neighbor's bridal wreath spirea is covered in flowers; this happened overnight. There are more Lilac Wonder tulips. The milkweed (asclepias) that came to us in pots of other things that were paid for lasted several years, but this winter appears to have done for them. There do appear to be new volunteers, though. Flower Record has shown itself to stand well against the winds and the rains, so it's too bad that it's not much of a returner. The trees on the oak motte are at last beginning to shed some leaves.