I wish I could say that spring has arrived, but only just barely! It didn't snow this month, but it's been chilly. There's a slight tinge of green to the lawn, but that's about the only sign of spring. I miss the early bulbs I planted in my old garden, so I'll make sure to plant some this fall. The tulips and daffodils I did plant are starting to make an appearance.
But I did plant pansies! They've had to endure a few hits of under 30 degrees at night, but they perk back up afterward. I predict we'll see another freeze, and if it's severe, I'll cover up my usually hardy pansies. They don't mind a little chill, but they tend to droop when it feels like winter again. Meanwhile, I'm hoping for warmth! It's so sporadic. One day it was 70, the next day the high was 28. I guess I forgot what a roller coaster Michigan can be in March.
I decorated my house for spring, with an emphasis on bright and cheerful yellow. I purposely decorated this house with mostly neutrals in the background, so that I could rotate out colorful accessories. It's been fun to add frequent pops of color like this. Next up will be royal blue, inspired by my new teapot. I'll show you that next month.
We took a road trip to Hidden Lake Garden to see their Spring Flower Show. I've never been there, but now I can't wait to go back in other seasons. I could see the bones of outdoor spring flowers, with hellebore plants and rhododendrons waiting to go. We took the driving tour first, and found out exactly where the place gets its name. Again, I'm surprised I didn't go there in the fall to see the colors! The whole place reminds me very much of Dawes Arboretum in Ohio. The spring flowers in the conservatory were well worth the trip.
I've been busy around the house, with some baking and crochet projects, and enjoying my frequent fresh flowers. This has become a habit with me, to keep my vases full of colorful blooms.
It's finally warming up, and we're getting outside more. I tweaked the front door decorations, spotted my tulips coming up, and watched Mama and Papa Mallard checking out the place. House finches visit my bird feeder most days, but I noticed they often chase away the bluebirds, and that does NOT make me happy. Can't say I was unhappy when the mallards chased away the finches one day. Payback!
One of my favorite early spring activities back in Ohio was to go listen to the loud chorus of spring peepers. I was waiting for them to appear here, and assumed I'd find them in the neighborhood ponds. But not a peep. So I drove around the nearby country roads with my windows down in search of them. Now this might seem silly to some, but I really like that song! Eventually I found them, in several places, but nowhere nearby to stop and record them. But I got lucky for about half a minute, and was able to catch a quick video.
On one of the first warm days, I drove down to Gallup Park in Ann Arbor in search of a sunset. What I found was more red winged blackbirds than I had ever heard or seen in one place! There were also ducks, swans, geese, and more. The sunset was fine, but the birds were a delight that night.
The sunsets moved around to the front porch by the end of the month. I also found a spot in the neighborhood where I can see a clear view of the horizon over a field, so I visit there too. Anywhere I can see a sunset is great, but what I'd really like is to find a view with water under it.
See you back here in the Nest at the end of April! By then, I should have my garden in motion, and my daffodils and tulips may have arrived. It will be a bit too early to have my containers planted, but I'll have them all planned out by then. I have deck railing planters ordered, and I know for sure I'm going to grow milkweed in a container. Plus we'll be growing a few veggies in our raised deck planter, with no bending involved. It will be interesting to see how this slightly cooler climate works. I also wonder if we'll constantly beg for summer rain, like we did in our corner of Columbus. It's an adventure! See you then.
