Springtime

The calendar reminds us that Spring is here.  Maybe for you she is still waiting.  Hopefully the days ahead will melt your snow if you have any remaining.  The first harbingers of Spring for us are always the welcoming sight of the daffodils blooming.

There are many spots in our garden where daffodils bloom.  The ones on the south side of our home are usually the first to make their appearance.  It's nice to pick bouquets of them for the dining room table.

All of the squirrels stay busy chasing each other around the trees.  I suspect they are looking for a mate.  

I have several hellebores in the perennial bed that are beginning to bloom.  I cut back last years foliage last week.  Samuel and Grayden applied 4 wheel barrow loads of compost onto this bed.  Compost is the best thing to apply to enrich your soil.  I hope you make it!

Here is a closeup of the lovely hellebore flower.  They nod their blossoms so here is a little help from a friend so you can see its beauty.

" A flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms."  Zen Shin

The roses that were pruned last month are beginning to leaf out.  Last week we had mulch delivered and spread around the shrubbery.  We used to buy bags and haul it ourselves, but let's just say we are taking a little help in some areas now that we are of a certain age.

Our one and only camellia shrub is loaded with buds.  Hopefully the squirrels will stay away from them this year.  They have been known to eat every bud on this shrub!

The daylilies are quickly emerging.  The white you see at the top of this photo is not snow, but ash from our chimnea.  It is good for the lilacs that used to be my Grandmothers. 

Inside the peace lily is beginning to bloom.  When all danger of freezing is over I will take her outside for her summer vacation.  She loves it!

The first day of Spring is always special for us as it is the birthday of our middle grandson, Alex.  I can hardly believe he is sixteen years old!  

We all went out to eat to celebrate his big day.  He is on the right and his brother, Miles is on the left.  They are really great kids that of course we adore.

Even if he is silly!  He loves Tres Leche Cake and requested it for his birthday cake.  He did use his spoon to eat it--thank goodness!

  

Daffodils and Spring Flowers

Did you know that daffodils originally came from the countries around the Mediterranean?  These little jewels of spring were first mentioned two or three hundred years before Christ. Even though they were grown by the Greeks and Romans they were basically forgotten until the 1629 when a group of Englishmen took the flower out of the weed category and put them in the garden!  Thanks to them the daffodil is now our hope of Spring.  Do you plant these little jewels in your garden?  I hope you do as they are easy and are not bothered by most garden pests.  Even voles don't like them!  As well as squirrels that seem to love to dig up everything else, leave them alone.  I started growing my daffodils when our children were young in elementary school.  For annual fund raising, they always sold these little bulbs to raise money for their school.  These little bulbs have multiplied and given us much pleasure.  

As I began to garden more, I planted other varieties of daffodils.

No matter the variety of daffodil, they always say Spring to me! 

The garden is waking up now, even with the crazy twists and turns of the fickle Spring.  

Veronica Speedwell is trailing across the garden bed.

Bleeding Heart is beginning to bloom it's tiny hearts.

Grape hyacinths (Muscari) are popping up.

Hosta are growing by the inch on warm days.

The pansies are still happy that we have cooler temperatures.

My Grandmother's lilacs are blooming!  This makes me so happy to see them blooming in my garden.  Do you have any plants that belonged to your family or special friend?  I have many and always remember them when I'm in my garden.

"Just living is not enough... one must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower." 

Hans Christian Andersen

Yes, Spring is finally here in Virginia in our little corner that we call home.  I hope she visits you soon, my friends! ♥