March is for Transitions

I'm not sure that March actually came in like a lion this year. It started out a bit chilly, then took a slow transition into lamb weather as the month progressed. Yesterday was 73, and I sat out on the patio with my iced tea, wearing flip flops. Tomorrow? Well, we won't discuss what's supposed to happen tomorrow. Looks like I'll be tucking a few things into the garage for the night. 

With agreeable weather, I'm back in the garden working most times. There's plenty of winter cleanup to do, plus prep work for the main garden season coming up soon. I have plans, so many plans! I did have a small crocus bloom in late February, but March is showing me ALL the crocus. Hubby and I like to make funny plurals, so instead of all the crocus, we'd say croci. I guess I scattered them widely, because they keep popping up in new locations. I love a good surprise. 

My other favorite early bloom is iris reticulata. It's also scattered everywhere around here. Half the fun is figuring out where it will pop up! I often tell people that it looks best planted under sedum Angelina, but I found that only a few of mine are planted that way. I've started removing some of my sedum, only because it was hampering where I could plant things. 

Hellebores are under appreciated flowers. They can be expensive, and their blooms aren't quite as showy. Mostly, the flowers face down at the ground. You can see from this first photo, that I'm practically laying on the ground, and you can still barely see them. The solution was right there, for many years, and I neglected to try it. Finally, I remembered to pick some of the blossoms to float in a bowl so I can see them better! 

And what would spring be without pansies? I rarely put any pansies in the ground, this is a container plant for me. I plant them in mid March, and by the end of May, I'll replace them with summer flowers. I could probably keep them a little bit longer, before the real heat arrives, but I consider them fleeting. 

Finally, we have daffodils. I really love my daffodils in bloom. Yellow flowers of any kind just make me smile. I call this the inherent sunshine effect. I don't know the variety for most of them, but my favorite is Jetfire, because it blooms first. I rarely cut the flowers to bring indoors, but I think I'll do that today. 

Of course my crafting slows down once gardening starts anew. I did finish  up a couple of crochet blankets this month, but I can't show them until they are gifted. I had the urge to paint some more rocks, to scatter around town for strangers to find. I've also slowed down on my cooking and baking, I suppose that was winter entertainment. I still cook, but not every night like I was. Instead, I make family size portions, allowing us to  have frequent leftovers. I made a big pot of beef stew on Sunday that kept us fed for three days running. Many times, we'll have what we call The Big Salad, a reference to old Seinfeld episodes. It's just a kitchen sink type salad, better than anything a restaurant can serve. It was so appealing to me all laid out that I had to photograph it this time. I don't normally put it all out in portions like this, I guess I was inspired that day. 

The biggest news of the month was that I was able to get my first vaccine. I can't tell you the joy it brought me. Even though I'm not yet fully vaccinated, it gave me such comfort to know that soon I'd be more protected. This Friday is my second dose, I'm both nervous and excited. It will be nice to transition into a slightly more relaxed lifestyle.

I'll close with sunsets as I often do. Lately, we've had a string of clear blue sky days, which don't lend themselves to pretty sunsets. Window sunset season is coming to a close, as the world shifts slightly the other way. But I did make it to the pond area for one particularly lovely sunset. 

Thanks for visiting here with me each month. I appreciate your visits more than you know. April is on the way in all her flashy glory, and I'm down for that!