April Soft and Sweet

The winter was harsh, and in her remorse. Mother Nature is being kind to us this spring. March did indeed go out like a lamb, and now the April days are soft and sweet.

Grape hyacinths with sedum Angelina

We're a long way off from our frost-free date yet, but we can barely tell. Even the nights have been gentle, with chilly mornings turning into warm days.

Jetfire daffodils

Jetfire daffodils with sedum Angelina 

Jetfire daffodils

 Spring makes me absolutely giddy with joy, as it does to many people. When winter is raging about me, I often think how much I'd like to live in a warm climate, where I can garden year round. But would I really? Would I appreciate each little spring blossom if winter didn't make me long for them so much?

Unknown hellebore

Lenten Rose hellebore

I think I might get complacent about year round gardening. Dare say, I might yawn at the blooming of each little flower!

Striped Squill

Mrs. Moon pulmonaria

Maybe it's better that I have winter time to rest up from my garden chores. That way, I'm ready to go once the snow melts. There's no dragging me out to clean up the debris, no sir. All it takes is the first warm day, and I hurry out to play.

Pansy pot

Hyacinth

 April is a fickle month, we all know that. It could lightly snow, pour buckets, or give us warm sunshine, all in the same day! I'm sure I'll see another light frost by the end of the month. But for the most part, she has spared us her temper tantrums this year. I love that about April. She's a feisty young lady, but boy do we love her when she's soft and sweet.

Species tulips

Species tulips

Now excuse me while I go see what she's up to now.

Unknown daffodil

The Race is On

Tuesday it snowed. Just a little, but it was enough to stick for a few hours. By Sunday, it was 80 degrees. With roller coaster weather like that, I guess I'll just have to hold on and enjoy the ups and downs. Luckily, there are more ups than downs now. In about three weeks, it will be time to plant summer flowers and vegetables. It's hard to believe. Honestly, I'll probably put things off an extra week or so, just to be safe. After all, the chill doesn't seem quite ready to let go this year.

The race to garden is on! We may still have a few frosts, but the deep chill is gone. There are plenty of garden tasks to attend to in spring. Spring crops can go in the ground, winter clean up continues, perennials are often safe to plant, and there are pansies and other cool weather flowers to plant.

 

But the best part of spring is watching all the flowers bloom. It seems like every day there is a new surprise.

Just today, I found myself actually holding a new tulip in my hand just to admire it. It's petals are so soft and velvety.

You'd think I'd get used to it. You'd think I wouldn't get excited every single time a new flower pops up. But I do!

 

I'm trying to be a little wiser this year. I know I shouldn't try to do everything at once. I'm taking a different approach. Instead of gardening for hours at a time, I just do a little each day. My muscles will surely thank me, don't you think?

Remember, a tortoise can win the race just as easily as the hare! 

A Moody Kind of Spring

One minute it's hot, the next it's cold. Welcome to spring in Ohio. Overall, it's been a little colder than usual. But it's hard to compare, because we tend to think about that crazy, warm spring we had last year. That definitely was not the norm. Since I can't depend on the weather to be reliably warm, I make sure to take advantage of the nice days. In other words, housework takes a back seat to yard work and garden exploring. But you know what? That's pretty much always true with me.

Spring is so downright colorful, isn't it? The world blooms in candy colored flowers, with a new sweet surprise showing up every day.

One of my favorite parts of spring is when the fall planted bulbs pop up. Often times, I forget planting them till they appear. And it's always a delightful surprise. I call these checkered lilies, but I know they are really a Fritallaria meleagris.

Pulmonaria saccharata ' Mrs. Moon' is more commonly known as Lungwort. It doesn't make a very big showing, but the spotted foliage and the multicolored flowers make it fun to enjoy. The rest of the summer the foliage fades into decline, but it's small and barely noticeable. 

 I love plants that give me freebies. In other words, plants that seed themselves around are most welcome. Jack Frost brunnera is one of those. I assume they are related to forget-me-nots since they look so similar. Note to self, move this back further into the shade so they don't burn up in late summer as usual. 

 I'll gain more freebies from my hellebores. Seedlings are everywhere this spring, but so tiny that I have no idea which variety is which. I guess I'll find out later on. I'm not sure why this one decided to face up, since most of them face down towards the ground. 

 Of course much of my spring color comes from the addition of candy colored pansies. It's a flower I just can't do without in spring. By spring time, I'm dying to see some color but the frost free date is still too far away for safety. Enter the common pansy, who doesn't mind a bit when the nights get chilly. They just bloom on and on till it gets too hot out. By then, I'll simply swap them out for brightly colored summer annuals. 

 And so it goes. Spring is so easy to love, even though she can be a bit moody. The flowers are ever so welcome after a cold, gray winter, and the green leaves and lawns are a balm for the eyes. Welcome anyway, you moody Miss Spring! 

 

I Made It

I did it. Another winter has gone by, and it finally feels like spring! I suppose I shouldn't think about winter as simply a season to be gotten through. Moving somewhere warm would solve that issue, but that's a thought for another day. All I know is spring has arrived. Thank goodness!

I broke out the sandals for the first time, an annual spring landmark for me. Usually I can wear them in late March, but not this time. The official date was April 7, mark it on your calendar.

It was warm enough to garden without a sweatshirt or jacket this weekend. That's when I know it's really spring. The breeze is soft, not harsh. When the sun shines, it's actually warm. I can hear the birds sing again. All of these things point to spring.

There's one more important marker of spring, of course. The blooming of the spring bulbs is celebrated all around garden blog land. So why should I be any different? It's time for crocus and daffodils and hyacinth and hellebores and primroses and all the other early spring flowers that warm the heart and the spirit.

Yes indeed, we all made it through another winter. And spring is our prize.

Skip Over Spring

The winter that never was has turned into the spring that never was. It may look like an early spring, but it feels like summer! Every day there are new delights in bloom. I've been comparing photos from last year, and some flowering trees are a full month early, like the Bradford pear.

I like how the gregii tulips come up right in the middle of my beloved Angelina sedum. Last year the blooms were immediately nibbled, but this year only the leaves were munched on.

With all this warmth, the crocus came and went quickly this year.

I'm not sure my primrose colors are coordinated, but I don't care. They are just another welcome sign for spring.

The hyacinth will probably be here tomorrow. Oh the scent!

My daffodils are popping up everywhere, but you know how my penny ball likes to sneak into all my photos.

Poor little striped squill got dirty in the storms on Sunday,

and so did  the Mrs. Moon pulmonaria. It doesn't matter, they are still pretty!

The species tulips are a favorite of mine. The dark pink have already started, and soon the light pink ones will join them.

I thought this might be a seedling from my Lenten Rose hellebore in the background, but the speckles tell me it's not. I guess I've lost the tag, so I don't know what it is.

 Simple little muscari are also blooming. I always forget that I planted these till they come up!

I generally plant pansies in early spring and fall to get a little blast of color in the cool weather. Many people do. But with the mild winter we had, it was an especially good choice. They all survived the winter, and have been giving me that early burst of bloom color.

Ah spring, you are so beautiful!