Hints of Spring

I don't have any daffodils planted on the farm, and my many tulips are planted in mostly shade so they are slow to emerge.
So my first blooms of Spring are my Ivory Prince Lenten Roses.

 I love the backs on the blooms the best... backwards, right?

Can I just tell you how much it bugs Shawn that I won't let him rake all the dead leaves and tidy things up a bit?!  Letting the leaves lie where they may sure saves me in costly mulch and picking weeds later.  Sometimes the 'natural' look is just not embraced by my sweetheart but my tantrums ,to leave the leaves be, usually win out.