Saturday, March 15, 2014

Celebrating the Subtle Signs of Spring



 Exactly two years ago on Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, which is always the 15th of the month, I wrote a posting called March Madness . Please click on the link and scroll through the pictures -- you will be amazed. The temperature was high enough to bring frogs out of the pond and to open up the blooms of daffodils, crocus, hellebores, and many other spring flowers. How different today, with snow and ice still covering most of the garden. But I refuse to be downhearted. This may be the winter that will not quit, however, I am celebrating some subtle signs of spring that put hope into my heart.

At daybreak, for the past couple of weeks, I hear birdsong. The cardinal and the tufted titmouse for sure are serenading their ladies. Not exactly a full dawn chorus, but its a great start. And the male goldfinches on my feeder are looking more yellow every day as their winter olive-colored feathers begin to take on their spring/summer hue. Did you notice this in my first picture?


 As for flowers, I searched the shade garden where the snow had melted .. .

There were no snowdrops near their markers.
I hope the mole and the chipmunk haven't moved them.
I looked for hellebores and primroses and, to my joy, I found buds.

Buds on the hellebore

New leaves and a bud on the primrose.

I discovered several clumps of daffodils where the snow had gone. It will be a couple of months before they bloom, but I am happy to see they survived this dreadful winter.

Daffodils

In the cottage garden, somewhere under all the snow there are crocuses, trust me. I am so glad I planted some evergreens for winter interest, and didn't cut down all the perennials.

There are crocuses under the snow here.
It was good to see some green all winter

The snow is melting slowly and I can see cornstalks above the white of the back field.

Can you see the corn stalks?

 Certainly no frogs near the pond. And I wonder how the fish are faring? The pond was completely frozen over for about a week and we couldn't get near it through the drifting snow. The pond was built very deep, so hopefully the fish are O.K.

A bubbler makes a small hole in the ice covering the pond.

How wonderful, I found some sedum buds! Sedum is so reliable. It is a little 'find' like this that really lifts my spirits.

Sedum, 'Autumn Joy' brings joy to me today!

One, not-so-good sign of spring ... H.H. said he killed a mosquito near the stable about a week ago. I thought he was mistaken as it was very cold. But this morning, when he went to change the water in the bird bath, amazingly there were hundreds of mosquito larvae squiggling around in it. Ugh!

Still some ice on the water, but a mosquito had got into it.

Putting this depressing thought behind me, I took one more turn around the shade garden, stepping gingerly over the ice and snow. Then I saw it ...

The first bloom of spring.

For me this little, budding snowdrop reaffirms that the change from winter to spring is about hope. This is cause to celebrate. I know it is going to be a wonderful new gardening season!

I am joining Donna at Gardens Eye View for her Seasonal Celebrations and Carol at May Dreams Gardens for Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day. Thank you, Donna and Carol, for hosting these two great memes.  Please go to their wonderful sites, dear friends; you will be glad you did.

Happy spring!
Pamela x

But starting to wake up at last!

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