Don't You Dare Call It Green

It's chartreuse. 

And on a rainy northwest morning, it sparkles against the backdrop of evergreens.

This Japanese maple (plain old Acer palmatum) is one of my favorite things in the garden.

I have to restrain myself with the chartreuse, because as much as I love it,

I think it's more of an accent than the main show.  

You can see the chartreuse repeated in the red wing euphorbia and sedum Angelina.

And even the adorable puffs of new growth on this cute little nest spruce.

In June it will be three years since we removed this patch of weedy grass and installed plants, which looked far too wimpy to fill in the area.

Instead, I've had to take things out!

Can you believe the growth?

Do you see the tiny euphorbia?

and the barely-there sedum? (which have been divided and replanted)

and the little stalks of the Helen Von Stein lamb's ears? (ditto the sedum)

The barberry was moved to an area where the dogs liked to dig.

The lavender, which didn't thrive, was replaced with nepeta "Walker's Low"

The jasmine that was on the arbor met with the shovel as well.

The drip line has long since been abandoned and the plants are on their own.

Can you spot the porch trellis with the circle "window" that Lyle added when we were in China?  

The old picture looks so plain without it.

And without the wisteria walkway beyond it.

And Olaf.

I certainly spotted him.

Oh, do we miss Olaf.

Rainy or sunny, I hope you're having a beautiful spring morning.