Early Spring

There have been years when there has still been snow covering the ground well into the first weeks of April so to have daffodils blooming during the third week in March is a first in the 20 years we've lived in our home.  The 70's of last week are gone but the warm temperatures rushed things along and the forsythia have already bloomed. Now that we're back into the 40's Mother nature has reverted back to her usual pace.

I saved some garlic from the farmer's market and planted it last fall; it is up and growing well.  I ordered 3 different types of potatoes which arrived this week and are now chitting on the 3-season porch, to help them grow more quickly once they are placed in the ground. The onions that came with the order are already in the soil. Last year I learned that onions need the cool temps of early spring in order to grow roots. When planted too late they will sprout but not increase in size. Live and learn!

Garlic

I love the blue of the scilla which bloom in large clumps around the yard. I'm fortunate that the previous owner of the home was a wonderful plantswoman; she had quite a number of shrubs, perennials and bulbs planted in the gardens.

Scilla siberica

White peony shoots. I love the way they look like hands reaching for the sky

Light

The past 10 days or so have been cloudy, rainy, snowy and just plain depressing. It seems as though we are getting one big storm after another, which makes for some cool ocean waves, but other than that, isn't good for much. We have water in our basement and the yard is half-frozen mud. Yuck. Arizona seems years ago.

On a brighter note, I hear more singing birds in the morning. Each year at this time there is a subtle shift in the sounds outside. I've heard Canadian geese calling to each other while flying in their V-formation, returning to the area. Cardinals are chirping in the yard and even the birds at the feeder seem a little more hopeful, less hunkered down in their feathers. The sun is up earlier and goes to bed later by a few minutes each day. Once the ground dries out I can start making my rounds in the yard to check for crocuses peeking up. All of this makes me happy, with the anticipation of spring.