March Is Where Spring Begins

March has been fairly typical here in central Ohio. We've had some pleasant days, some rainy days, a few snowflakes, with plenty of flowers arriving. But it's not really leaving like a lamb today. It's rainy and chilly instead. But since I planted pansies this week, I'm glad for the rain, because now I don't have to water. Remember, gardeners are almost always grateful for rain. 

Even though I had some early flower arrivals in February, it isn't until March that they begin in earnest. The weather hasn't always been welcoming for them, but they arrived anyway. Spring flowers are used to chilly weather, and in general, they laugh at the cold. 

Pansies are a special case, because they get freshly planted here every year, in the early spring or late winter. Those who aren't passionate gardeners are often amazed to find me planting them, because they don't understand that not all flowers appreciate warm weather. But I do, and I'm sure grateful for their wild colors in early spring, after a long winter of bland gray weather. I'm going for a yellow theme with my annuals this year, and pansies are cooperative in that regard. 

As I sorted through my photos, I find that I didn't work on crafts much this month. I suppose that's a sign of spring, when I'm outside working in the yard instead of inside crafting. But I did decorate my seasonal tiered tray as I often do, and I welcomed a mallard duck pair to the yard. They've been trying to raise a family here for several years, but we have never yet seen any ducklings. But here they are again, scouting out the place.

One small project that I did accomplish was to finally put my grandmother's teacup collection on display. They've been tucked away for many years, because I couldn't find a way to display them without it looking like a granny's house. Granted, I am a grandmother, but I didn't want it to look that way! But I did a bit of online sleuthing, and came up with the idea to use these rattan shelves to modernize them a bit. Because it's a small collection, they don't seem to come off as old fashioned displayed here on their new shelves. Grandma would be happy to see me showing them off for her. My favorite is the tiny one with a bird for a handle. Can you spot it? 

We spent time in Florida visiting my two sets of parents. They live in completely different areas, so the scenery is unique to each. We also took in our beloved Detroit Tigers during spring training. What fun! I was so tickled to see butterflies again, it's been much too long. 

And so we come to the end of March, and onward towards April. April is a favorite around here, when the world will really pop into bloom. It may be a bit chilly today, but the spring change is already starting. Soon the trees will really start to bloom, and the tulips will arrive. My heart lifts in spring, as it does for many. 

The sunsets are swinging around to my front porch again, so they've been harder to catch. When they arrived fully in front, then I'll happily catch them right off the porch. Until then, I keep watching the sky. Glad you could stop by my Nest! Will see you again next month, I hope.