The Birds, and the Bees, and the Flowers...

The tree swallows returned today. There was a lot of swooping and diving to celebrate their arrival. Add to that the flash of bluebirds and much squabbling over the prime bird house locations. It seems that tree swallows are dominant and get first choice of a nest box. Bluebirds try to claim a box but they are no match for strong flying swallows. Even the little black capped chickadees got in on the ruckus. When it all sorts out each house will have a nest.

By afternoon the birds had settled down, but now there was a lot of buzzing in the garden. In the warm sunshine the crocus flowers were wide open to welcome visitors. The bees were delighted with this early pollen source.

What a tight squeeze this miniature iris was for this fat bee. He disappeared inside the flower, but then had to back his way out beehind first. Ed spent the entire day outside. I joined him at every opportunity. It was exactly the kind of gorgeous spring day we have been waiting for.

The First Flower in the Garden, 2011

Today has been chilly. At one point snow was swirling around enough to obliterate the hills on the north side of the valley. It's hardly a nice day for a flower opening. Still around lunchtime, this Dutch iris had begun to open.

This afternoon the sun is shining and the flower has opened a little more. A second bud is coming. This beautiful purple flower may look delicate, but sometimes looks can be deceiving.

The first flowers of spring in zone 4 have to withstand Mother Nature's cold shoulder and bloom anyway!

Outside ... Freeze Frame, Indoors... Action!

Outside we have more snow and more cold. My pretty, hardy, little Dutch iris are just sitting there, closed tight, waiting for things to warm up at least a bit. They only have one chance to bloom and they will wait until the conditions are right. I hope the first blossom will open soon. I'm impatiently watching.

Inside things are on the move. Ed has set up his lights and planted his first seeds. The lettuce likes it cool, so the basement temperature is fine. Other seeds like it warmer so they have a bottom heat pad and a plastic dome.

Baby lettuce plants raise my spirits and ease the pain in my wallet from buying lettuce ever so slightly. A package of lettuce seeds and a pot of dirt is a better investment these days than putting money in the bank. It will be weeks before we get to eat our own lettuce, but we are off to a good start.

Safe inside a plastic dome, with warmth from below and light from above, Ed's China aster plants are growing nicely. Last year we started two kinds of asters, but we lost track of which was which. One kind was a disaster, but we don't know which one. This year we are planting one kind. There will be no room for confusion at least where the asters are concerned!

Early Spring Blooms

It was snowing this morning, and really kind of chilly all day, but this afternoon when the sky cleared and the sun came out, we had flowers. These Pickwick crocuses are a perfect example of why an impatient gardener like myself plants bulbs in the fall. They take my breath away! They also get the attention of the honey bees. The rabbits trimmed these before the cage was in place, but only the leaves got trimmed. The flowers are perfect. We must be more diligent about noting the location of these early bulbs so that they can be caged.




The snow drops in this bed have been joined by this deep blue Dutch iris. I adore these little iris that bloom so early. Actually these blooms will last longer if the weather stays cool. They can take snow better than heat.




This clump of Dutch iris has grown from one to six in the years it has been in this spot. These flowers have a cage too. I removed it to take the picture. Without cages all of these flowers would become bunny brunch.

A Different Point Of View

When visitors come here, walks in the garden are common. Amy and I took such a walk, and I gave her the camera. These are her photographs. A lovely bleeding heart flower is a nice place to start.




This bubble-like spider web was in the berry bushes just alongside the path. It was bustling with activity and a type of web that I've never seen before. We found it fascinating!




My mother's iris are lovely. It's nice to capture their fleeting beauty with the camera.




Snow in summer is a favorite flower of Amy's. It's white flowers and gray foliage are cooling in the summer. I wish we needed that cool feeling. Freeze /frost warnings are in the forecast for tonight. The last one gave us a bad feeling and I have been watching for this. We have been procrastinating and not replanting. Sometimes procrastination pays off! Today we hope the beans will stay underground. Ed will go out and cover the potatoes that are coming up with dirt. Plants will be chosen to be covered, but some things will just have to take it like it comes. If the warnings are accurate, tomorrow morning will bring frost in June. I suppose they might be wrong. If not, there's still hope for frost-free July and August.

Today's Beauty!

This little Dutch iris is the fairest one of all, at least for today. These delicate looking, but incredibly hardy plants are a favorite of mine. Their early spring bloom time brings joy to my heart. They grow in cold weather, sometimes peeking out of the snow, but not this year. With the warm weather and then rain, this plant grew and bloomed in just over one day. Ordinarily the leaves would appear and green in the sunshine. After that the plant would flower. Our somewhat freakish weather has hurried this pretty little lady and so her leaves are a bit pale. With such a magnificent flower I'm sure no one will notice. Now that the weather is cooler again,the flower will last longer.