Spring has Sprung

Even though the wind is howling these warm temperatures and sun shine  are encouraging everything to bloom. I love looking out the kitchen door and seeing some color in the garden. It is difficult to stay indoors for very long with it being this warm.

I am not the only one that is enjoying the sun and warmer temperatures. 

Even many bugs have emerged. Bees, flies. It is nice to see them all. 

Trees are budding. By the end of this day the Redbuds will be open. This crabapple was planted only last year and it is all budded up. 

There is some pale blue grape hyacinths blooming their little heads off. Oh no, maybe it is the wind blowing their heads off. 

The first epimedium is blooming.  

The red, white and blue arrangement out front didn't quite turn out as I imagined but I am not complaining since they are so pretty no matter what the colors. 

The all white tulips are as they should be. This clump has multiplied this year. This makes me happy too. 

The wild violets are blooming up a storm too. Love seeing these cheerful little faces.

Who couldn't be happy when hearing the First of the Year House Wren singing at the top of his lungs on the patio this morning. 

I hope you are all having a good day. Have a great weekend too despite the rain and chill that is to move in. There will be more days like today.

In a Vase on Monday

I don't often fill vases full of flowers. Since it was Easter Sunday yesterday and this year the daffodils were blooming up a storm I thought it a good thing to pick a bunch for the dinner table. 

I put the daffs in a rabbit pitcher. Since it was so chilly here during the day not everyone wanted to go outside to see them so they got to see them this way. 

I also had a couple of tiny vases made up for the bathroom. I brought them out this morning since our bathroom doesn't have a window. I simply placed the small vases into the orchid pot. You can see the little grape hyacinths (left front) and the pink hyacinth on the other side of the pot. The small orchid to the right is also blooming. I think they look sweet together.

Even though I don't often participate in Cathy's meme of IN A VASE ON MONDAY,  I always go there to see what everyone is finding to put in their vases on Monday. You should go have a look too.

The Sublime to the Ridiculous

 This morning when I was looking out the windows it seemed a perfect day. The sun was shining so I decided to step out for a bit despite the cold wind blowing.

I bundled up and took a walk through the garden. The Tete tete daffodils were in full bloom as were the big yellow daffodils. 

Some of the fancier versions and narcissus were beginning to bloom.

Then I came upon these. An ever hopeful sign that the Fox that I actually saw the other morning left a calling card.

Perhaps it had been lucky another day.

Shortly after I went inside it commenced to get cloudy and rain. With the rain came, you guessed it, Rabbits.  I say this plurally because there were two this size. 

This one happily scarfing down my crocus. The other went on by the patio doors to another clump of crocus.

When this one snatched the remaining bud that would bloom I banged on the patio doors and off it went.  What would the fox say? I sure can't print what I was saying at this point.

First Day of Spring - Snow

Can't imagine why she set us outside so early in the year.

Yes, what was she thinking? 

I don't know what they are complaining about. I am out here all year long. Woof. 

Obviously we had a bit of snow yesterday and last night. Luckily it will be gone by this afternoon.

No surprises here regarding the snow but yesterday morning we did have a surprise.

I know it is a terrible photo but it was so dark outside and the fox was hunting therefore not being still one second. A first for our garden on the first day of spring.

Did you have any firsts on the first day of spring?

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day - March 2018

This March I don't have as many blooms to show as usual. What is usual are the blooms I do have. The early blooms of spring. I picked a bowl of hellebore blooms when we had company coming over. Our company was not able to get out into the garden so I wanted  to show them the flowers. When I was picking them I found one windflower (Anemone Blanda) abloom. It is the only one we have had as yet. This colder than normal March is keeping the flowers at bay.

The sun did come out yesterday and make some of the daffodils and crocus open. 

The hyacinths that have been in the garden the longest have opened. The rest are sitting there just peeking out of the ground waiting for warmer weather. 

This is my most prolific crocus. A good thing I like it so well. It is pretty sitting there open to the sun. 

Like the flowers I seem to be awaiting the warmer weather to do much in the garden. As my Dearly Beloved has told me time and again...It is only March. Yet I feel this urgency to get out and do something what with the birds beginning to sing.

For more blooms pop over to Carol's May Dreams Garden. You will find blooms from all over the world. 

Happy Garden Bloggers Bloom Day! What is blooming in your garden?

First Week of March

The first week of March has been up and down weather wise. I am not complaining though because there are flashes of color in the garden now. I just have to get out to look at it. 

The hellebores have been happy with the turbulent weather. They don't care if the sky is blue or grey. They open and show their pretty faces. 

All of these are well established. Nothing much in the line of weather will deter them once they decide it is time to bloom. 

This white hellebore is a new one. I didn't purchase it. It just appeared. What a nice surprise. 

There has even been a bee or two in the garden. Now this really makes it feel like spring...

As do the crocus popping up in the lawn. 

There are promises of more blooms to come.

While in the garden yesterday I found a tiny surprise. This little surprise couldn't have made me happier. It is the promise of a new beginning for my tree peony. Last year it seemed to die. The harsh dry summer was just too much for it. So I cut it to the ground thinking I would dig it out later. I never got around to doing that. Happily it appears that it will come back. I will have to wait to see what is going on with it. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Have you found any surprises in your garden yet this year?

Two Days Difference

 You just never know what you will find in the garden when the temperatures blow up. I went out this morning after a few showers went through and found one of these pale crocus blooming. This isn't washed out these crocus are just that pale yellow. 

After lunch I talked my DB into going out to see the crocus. He brought along his camera and just look at what we found. Another cluster of these sweet little crocus.

We walked around looking for more pop ups. Sure enough a darker yellow and a pale lavender crocus is shining through.  If the weather continues to be so warm many plants and flowers will be popping.

The Garden Supervisor approves.

So do I. Are there any surprises in your garden today?