Monday, April 11, 2016

The Ups and Downs of Spring

Like so much of the country, our winter was fairly mild, allowing spring to arrive a few weeks early. I've been busy enjoying the spring bulbs as they pop up everywhere.



My favorite bulbs are tulips. Surprised? Aren't tulips everyone's favorite? However, my fondness for tulips has a specific reason. I grew up somewhat near Holland Michigan, and as a young girl, my parents took me there to see the tulip festival. My mother swears that I was quite popular that day, with my wooden shoes and Dutch hat, but she may be a little biased.

I still make occasional trips up to Holland to see the tulips with my old friend Marlene. Our favorite thing to do is go to the tulip farm, where you can wander around picking out your favorites for purchase. In the fall, they ship the bulbs to you for planting. These are the tulips that I picked out there with my dear friend. This makes them extra special to me.



Flowering trees are a also a spring favorite. The early warmth made the pear trees pop out quickly this year. There were a few others in bloom, but most other flowering trees have been held in limbo by an ugly cold spell that's been lingering for a few days. And for the record, I know about the bad reputation of ornamental pear trees. This one is in my easement, and was planted there by the city. It's not really under my control, so I just enjoy its beauty. Hopefully they'll be replaced by a better choice in the future.


Now I know we're still a few weeks out from our frost free date, so I shouldn't be so surprised that it turned cold. But the warmth we've already enjoyed really tricked us into thinking that winter was over. Ha! It's been chilly for days, and we've even had snow. That's a four letter word this time of year. Luckily it didn't stick for long.

My spring flowers have been fine with it so far. The tulips drooped a bit on the coldest morning, but they popped right back up. It's supposed to get warmer this week. Thank goodness! April snow is quite disheartening. The only bright spot to the cold is that it keeps the flowers in a kind of suspended animation. The blooms have lasted much longer than they usually do.




Easter was a perfect and pleasant spring day though, warm and sunny, with blooming trees everywhere. As a garden geek, I generally put some type of garden treat into the Easter package I send to my grandchildren. I always include sunflower seeds, and this year, I added these cute little pots I found at Target, with grass seed included. Well, I just had to buy one for myself. And I even gave it a haircut. The silly thing makes me smile, and think of my grands at the same time.



What's spring like where you live?

13 comments:

  1. As always, your flowers are prefect and gorgeous. Here, we have a cloudy day after rain last night. The daffodils are in full slender and I always declare that I don't have enough and must plant more in the fall. The tulips, for the most part are few days, even weeks, away. Some early ones are blooming. The lilacs are several weeks away, May, baring frost. Apricot trees are in bloom and some crabapples. It all takes its time. Your garden is lovely. I bet that you are glad that you got stay. Me, too.

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    1. Spring just warms a gardener's heart, doesn't it?

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  2. AWESOME post, Robin! I kept looking for the LIKE button..hehehe. And THAT Dutch outfit! Waiting for the cold spell to leave central NJ, too!!!

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    1. I'm heading to Holland Michigan again in a few weeks, but somehow I don't think I'll make quite the impression as I did then...

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  3. I am happy to see your wonderful spring bulbs! I love tulips, though they don't do well here and are generally treated like expensive annuals. Cute pics of yourself! I can see why your proud mom probably thought you stole the show! Spring is so glorious here now. I dread to think that the heat and humidity is next on the horizon. Our weather has been so cool and fresh; I wish it could last through summer.

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    1. Honestly, tulips are pretty much an expensive annual here too. Sometimes a few will return, but not many. I think there is a more perennial version in standard red and yellow, but that just doesn't suit my colors.

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  4. Hey there Robin girl ! How cute were you in the Dutch costume ! It is wonderful to have pictures like that as a child ... I was lucky enough to live in the Netherlands for 4 years and see the amazing Keukenhof but not a great camera so very few pictures which is a shame .. even in the rainy weather it was gorgeous !
    Your bulbs are way ahead of mine .. but I am hoping to get some clean up done soon .. it has been "reasonable" ? weather here ... up to 9 degrees today !
    Love the muscari and all the others ... so pretty to see eh ? .. Cute grass .. fun things for kids makes us smile too.
    Joy : )

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    1. How lucky you were to live in the Netherlands! I often think that I should get to the Skagit Valley in Washington some spring.

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  5. What an adorable little Dutch girl you were, Robin. I'm sure your mother was right! The photographs of your April garden are stunning, so much color: from the bright blue of the muscari to the subtle shades of the primrose. Happy Spring! P. x

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  6. Beautiful spring photos...particularly love the tulips. Such cute pics of you as a little girl! The ladybug planter is so cute and whimsical.

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    1. Spring really has been so gorgeous this year, other than those few days of snow and cold. They were quickly gone, thankfully.

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  7. Absolutely gorgeous photos, and I love the photos of you as a little girl! Beautiful!

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    1. Thank you so much Linda! Those pictures are precious to me, and one of the reasons I like to return to Holland Michigan even now. Will be going there in two weeks!

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