Blooms galore

Each time I go outside, there's more and more to notice! I can't keep up with all the new growth, but here are a few snapshots of recent growth and blooms.

Spring continues

The Spring show continues daily.

New growth daily!

Lady's mantle, trout plants, trout lilies, hyacinths, hostas, bleeding hearts, and much, much more! The plants are growing at an astonishing rate with this warm weather! 

Seems like Summer!

Last week, Spring flowers popped up overnight and it was easy to notice each new bud and flower, much like the day to day changes parents note in their newborn children. Now we're having summer-like temperatures in the 80s and the flowers stampeded into full bloom and it's all I can do to turn around, catch my breath and admire the cascade of colors. If I could change the world in some small way, I'd give everyone I met a handful of daffodils and say," Here. Enjoy!"Seeing a dafffodil in bloom is like seeing a genuine smile.  

Burgeoning Blooms

A walk outside assaults the senses these days as buds and blooms increase dramatically practically as you watch! Hillsides are tinged with tree buds in luminous yellows, reds, and every green tint imaginable. Dad celebrates 90 Springs under his belt on April 29th, and says the leaves are usually out by his birthday, and I think they will be this year, too. What a nice way to usher in a new year!




      







        

First Daffodil Bouquet of the Season!

Daffodils greet us as we walk outside these days, and they shout their welcome in the brisk morning air! Gave first two bouquets of the season away to R and my son, Jim.

Bursting Blooms

This dwarf iris literally appeared overnight, as did this wood hyacinth. There's a brisk, drying wind today that ruffled my chicks' feathers. They love to flee their coop and peck around for bits of gravel, grass and bugs. They're pretty easy to put back in, also.

Spring Immersion

I love this time of year- noticeable changes surround us almost too quickly to take it all in! I noticed my first sighting of coltsfoot on Sunday when I took my first bike ride of the year around the "horn" - about a ten mile loop between two river bridges. Coltsfoot looks a lot like yellow dandelions except it has a flatter bloom and distinctive, almost segmented stems and foliage. It often grows along the edge of roads- I saw a good sized clump across from the drive to the lumber store, 88BC.

My crocus are in full bloom and the honey bees are busy gathering pollen- I think they are equally excited about the return of warmer weather! Lots of little flies are hovering about, too. When we visited a New Paltz garden center on Saturday I couldn't resist buying a pack of violas and also pansies- my first porch plants of the season!

    





Yesterday, I submitted two assignments for the summer issue to Pat Stone, editor of GreenPrints, a quarterly gardening magazine filled with gardening stories and accompanying illustrations. One's about an actress who left NYC and found more drama in her San Francisco garden. The other story I illustrated was about a round tool-like stone that contributing editor, Becky Rupp, found in her garden among the poppies. She added it to her garden tote and uses it often while speculating about its history and possible use by stone age gardeners. Happily, Pat accepted my drawings with no changes needed.

    



There is no end of things to do outside these days and I find myself flitting from place to place eagerly trying to do a little bit of everything- raking, weeding, getting the garden ready for planting...I happily discovered three rows of hyacinths emerging when I raked a back garden Sunday afternoon. The weather is warm enough to hang laundry outside again and it smells great, too.