Thursday, March 17, 2011

Signs of Spring

Note: Rumors of the death of this blog have been highly exaggerated.

I've been walking around the garden for a about a week, rejoicing daily in new signs of green!

The first green foliage to pop up for me each year isn't from spring bulbs, but from tiger lilies, up close to my foundation.

Maybe my hellebore will bloom this year.

Hyacinths like it wet over winter and dry in summer--they're perfect under my roof overhang.

Bearded irises are emerging.

My first clump of daffodils, near the foundation and under a chair, boasts my tallest bulb folaige so far.

I wonder how long these tulips (at least I think they're tulips, but I don't remember planting them) will last, given the real sign of spring in my garden...

{bum bum bum}... the groundhog has awoken from hibernation! For some of my previous encounters with groundhogs, see this and this.

I got this very small azalea from a friend a few years ago and look at its nice bud--the first flowers it's had! So looking forward to it blooming.

Speaking of buds, I love viburnums. This one will bloom in pink. And I would tell you its cultivar name if I knew where its tag was.

The ice has melted on the little vernal pond behind my house, where American toads sing and breed later in the year. (Like all vernal ponds, this dries up by early summer.)

I love love-in-a-mist foliage.These didn't actually pop up recently; they've been evergreen since last fall, surviving under snow and ice. In fact, if you ever need to know for a quiz show, love-in-a-mist is the only annual I know of that can come up in fall, overwinter in Michigan, and bloom in spring.

But note they spread! You can barely see the prickly pear cactus in the middle of all the love-in-a-mist seedlings.

Squirrels digging in the "lawn" is also a sure sign of spring around here.

Notably missing are witch hazel (which was blooming this time last year), snowdrops (which come up first for everyone else and almost last for me), and crocuses (no foliage up yet, but it seems to grow overnight).

And, finally, a sure sign of spring is that the snow has melted from my winter-sowing containers! (Snow on the ground has melted now, too.) I have one last flat to sow today; we're definitely at the end of the winter-sowing season here in zone 5b/6a.

Edited to add: After a day of temps in the mid 60s and sunshine, look what I found: crocus buds and leaves, which came up together! Shamrock shakes and kisses all around!
Posted by Monica the Garden Faerie at 10:19 AM
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25 comments:

  1. DianeMarch 17, 2011 at 10:47 AM

    My neighbor has crocuses in bloom already! I need to go out and ruffle up the squished winter mulch so the sprouts can get through.
    Glad to see the blog is alive :)

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  2. tinaMarch 17, 2011 at 11:25 AM

    Yeah for spring and pink flamingos!

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  3. AnneMarch 17, 2011 at 1:50 PM

    Hooray for signs of green! In the courtyard at the library, we already have 8" or so high daffodil foliage and buds, due to the microclimate. Yay spring!

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  4. Phoenix C.March 17, 2011 at 5:07 PM

    Love all those buds and signs of foliage! It's a never-to-be-tired-of excitement, isn't it, the arrival of Spring!

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  5. AnnaMarch 17, 2011 at 5:21 PM

    Glad to see that you and the blog are full of the joys of spring Monica :)

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  6. KateMarch 17, 2011 at 9:33 PM

    You have more bulb foliage than I do!

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  7. Lisa at GreenbowMarch 18, 2011 at 6:14 AM

    Isn't this the most exciting time of year! Seeing all your promises of spring appearing makes me happy. I can imagine how you feel. Yep, I'm lovin this spring weather.

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  8. RoseMarch 18, 2011 at 9:29 AM

    So good to see all these signs of spring, Monica! It was so warm here yesterday that I actually worked up a sweat cleaning up the flowerbeds--and without a coat on! Now I'm going to have to look for some love-in-a-mist foliage. Maybe that is what's coming up in the corner of my butterfly garden that I've been trying to identify; if so, it may take over this flowerbed completely soon:)

    Love the Twainesque comment at the beginning:) Always good to see you posting.

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  9. Dee @ Red Dirt RamblingsMarch 18, 2011 at 9:48 AM

    Ahh, nice. Spring is again coming to Chicago. We're in mid-spring fling here in Oklahoma. Glad you're getting some time for a walkabout in the garden.~~Dee

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  10. Garden HoardMarch 18, 2011 at 10:48 AM

    Oooh! I love this post! Pictures are always my favorite. Lots of squirrels digging in my garden too - can't wait to see blooms on everything!

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  11. Yolanda Elizabet HeuzenMarch 18, 2011 at 10:54 AM

    It's such a relief to see green things appearing in the garden once more. You could almost believe that spring is on its way. ;-)

    Good to see that your crocus are about to burst into bloom, very cheering.

    OT the new cat tree is partially made of banana leaves hence its name. ;-)

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  12. Morning Glories in Round RockMarch 18, 2011 at 11:09 AM

    It's nice to see your post, and all the lovely signs of Spring.

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  13. DarlaMarch 19, 2011 at 6:52 AM

    Spring seems to happen overnight in the gardens.

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  14. Alex aus dem GwundergartenMarch 19, 2011 at 9:09 AM

    Hallo Monica
    Oh ja, es scheint als wäre bei uns der Frühling etwas weiter als bei Euch. Hui, dafür beneide ich Dich aber um Dein Pflanzwägelchen. So was habe ich bei uns noch nie gesehen, dabei wäre es so praktisch. Super... Noah sitzt gerade so dicht bei meiner Tastatur, dass das Schreiben etwas schwierig ist, daher wünsche ich Dir nur noch ein schönes wochenende.$
    Liebe Grüsse
    Alex

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  15. sweetbayMarch 19, 2011 at 11:10 AM

    Ah spring ~ the best time of the year. I'm glad your R. setigera made it through the winter! Did the Ruellia bloom for you or is your season too short?

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  16. LorraineMarch 20, 2011 at 9:55 AM

    Love the taste of spring. Still have snow here, so it is a treat to have a virtual walk in your spring garden.

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  17. meemsnycMarch 20, 2011 at 10:01 AM

    Bearded Irises are the first leaves that come up for us. I too, get excited about the green in the midst of the dreary brown.

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  18. AnonymousMarch 20, 2011 at 5:03 PM

    Your hellebores look about like mine.

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  19. garden girlMarch 20, 2011 at 10:41 PM

    Happy happy, joy joy! (the groundhog. . . not so much!)

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  20. MrBrownThumbMarch 22, 2011 at 7:11 PM

    Today I saw the first peak of color in my crocus blooms! I can't believe spring is really happening here.

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  21. Single GalMarch 22, 2011 at 11:39 PM

    It's great to see life among the dead (leaves).

    The groundhog looks cute but I can only imagine what kind of things they can get into.

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  22. CherylMarch 23, 2011 at 3:15 PM

    Hi Monica, isn't it good to see spring foliage?

    I am amazed to see love in the mist overwintering in your garden.
    The seeds you kindly gave me are up and I am certain that love in the mist is one of them.....

    Rabbits are playing up this end......

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  23. Shady GardenerMarch 23, 2011 at 11:45 PM

    Hi Monica, I have never seen a groundhog - but our outdoor scenes look very much the same. We are to have some coooold weather these next few days - but look out! Spring is on its way! :-)

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  24. Marc @ GardenDeskMarch 25, 2011 at 8:30 AM

    It all looks good, except for that Groundhog! I have so much trouble in the garden from them. Happy spring!

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  25. BettyApril 19, 2011 at 4:45 PM

    I know what you meaning about walking in the gardens to spot new green popping up. This is a beautiful sight. Well done.

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