And so it begins...

Today is the first day of spring. Is there any sweeter sound? Spring is always welcome, but this year, even more so. Everyone is so happy to know that the official spring is here, but I'm trying not to get my hopes up. You see, next week we might get a little snow! Still, the trend is warmer. I can make it now. Especially now that the spring flower parade has arrived. Just in time for the first day of spring is the arrival of iris reticulata. Isn't that a sight for winter weary eyes?

Those dainty little iris are always the first guest to my garden. But the next arrival is always a race between the crocus and hellebores. I'm never sure which will bloom next. These hellebore buds may say that the they will come next, but they are notoriously slow to show up. The crocus may still beat them to the race.

I depend a lot on my sedum Angelina for garden color this time of year. The cold makes the foliage turn all shades of lovely, making it my favorite winter interest piece. And I use it with abandon. When summer comes, it will revert to it's bright green color, and that's okay too.

Early spring means it's time to buy pansies. My neighbors, who aren't gardeners, often seem so puzzled to see blooming flowers in pots all around my house. They just don't know the beauty of the pansy. Pansies like it chilly!

When the heat arrives, pansies will fade away, and I'll swap them out for something summery. But that's a good two months away, and I need color NOW. So pansies it is, in the hanging basket by the front door, in a pot on the back step, in the container on the front porch, and in the window boxes under the dining room windows.

Now I love pansies, but soon, there will be even more to see. I can hardly wait!