Patience is a Virtue: April GBBD

"Patience is a virtue" was a favorite saying of one my favorite high school teachers.  Mrs. G was my Home Ec teacher--this was the 60's, mind you, when girls were still expected to learn all kinds of homemaking skills.  She repeated this phrase often as we ninth graders grew frustrated with cooking and sewing disasters, such as my friend who had to tear out a skirt zipper nine times before getting it right!  After my many years of teaching, I suspect, however, that she repeated this mantra as much to keep her own frustrations in check as much as ours.  I know I would have.

I have been reminded of this saying the past month as my patience has worn thin waiting for spring to arrive.  I know I'm not alone as the crazy weather has affected many parts of the country.  From torrential rain to snowstorms--central Illinois has had more snow in April than any other month this winter--to constant gloomy, chilly days, it has been a depressing start to spring.  It doesn't help that we were spoiled last year. Last year we had an early spring, and I had crocuses blooming by the end of February.  By April, daffodils, tulips, and even some spring perennials were blooming.  The flowering trees had already bloomed by Bloom Day as well.  But this year?  Well, let's just see what we can find....

For my March Bloom Day post all I had to show were some snowdrops and the first yellow crocus.  By the end of March other crocuses were blooming as well.

Roco's memory garden had a variety of crocuses and other early small blooms, including Puschkinia and Scilla.  My favorite crocus 'Pickwick,' a larger lavender and white, is just opening up at the top of this photo.  I never did get a good photo of one of these, unfortunately.

The crocuses are pretty well finished, but other early bloomers are not.  The Hellebores, which began to bloom about the same time as the crocuses, are really hitting their peak right now.

I have several different colored singles, all whose names are now forgotten.  Cleaning up the garden has been a challenge this year because warm, sunny days have been few and far between, but I did manage to get out one chilly day and trim back the old foliage on all of these so that the blooms could really shine.

I have two newer Hellebores as well that are doubles.  They don't have many blooms yet, but the few they have are so lovely.  I've forgotten the exact cultivar name, but this one is part of the 'Wedding Series.'

One of my favorite little blooms this time of year are the Puschkinia.  I didn't remember they bloomed so early, but they have been popping up everywhere the last few weeks.  I've planted more and more of these little beauties the last few years because I like them so much--aren't they sweet?

I especially like them paired with the blue Scilla.  When you plant bulbs like this, you never know whether they will bloom at the same time, so I'm happy that the timing worked out.

The hyacinths are just starting to bloom.  I have some pink and white ones as well, but the purple ones always seem to do the best for me.

I was beginning to wonder if I would ever have any daffodils this year, but they are just really late.  A few warm days this past week have really encouraged the blooms to open up.

The bulbs I planted in part of the shade garden surrounding an oak tree are starting to fill in.  If I remember it, I might stick some kind of markers in the empty spaces to remind myself where more could be planted next fall.  It's not easy planting around big tree roots, though!

I've been planting more and more daffodils in recent years, especially in the areas farthest from the house, to avoid deer and rabbit damage.  Usually, I purchase large mixed bags, so I rarely know the name of each type.  This one in the Arbor Bed, though, is 'Mount Hood'--or so I thought.  'Mount Hood' is a large white daffodil, so I'm not sure what is going on here, or if I'm just confused about its placement, which wouldn't be the first time.  Notice even this vigorous bloomer doesn't appreciate the cold rain today.

More daffodils in Roco's memory garden (also Sasha's and Tarzan's garden now) on one of the few sunny mornings we've had.  This past week we had three sunny, mild days that were perfect to work in the garden, and I took advantage of them to do more clean-up of garden beds.  Today it's back to cold and rain with a chance of that dirty word 'Snow' tonight!  So frustrating.  But I'll be back in the garden on the next reasonably nice day, trying to get the rest of the clean-up done.  With any luck, I'll be finished before the tulips start to bloom!


Thanks to Carol at May Dreams Gardens for faithfully hosting  Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day each month.  And thanks to Mother Nature for finally giving me a few blooms to share this late spring!

GBBD: Signs of Spring

On this windy day in mid-March, signs of spring are everywhere...

Crocus blooms dot portions of the lawn . . .

. . . and stand out amid the debris in the flower beds.

I'm delighted to see I have more than one clump of snowdrops--several, in fact.  

The Hellebores haven't waited for me to cut back their foliage to start blooming.

'Red Lady' is rather shy.

The white ones are a little more revealing.

Near the miniature Japanese garden--still put away for the winter--the first narcissus are blooming.  'Topolino' is a miniature narcissus that is only 4-5 inches tall.

Even smaller are the Iris Reticulata, but their blooms make me so happy!

Though blooms are few on this Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, there are many more than last year, and signs of much more to come very soon.  Above, the first primrose beginning to open.

Fat buds on the lilac.

Hyacinths just waiting to emerge.

Soon the small fence line will be bordered in cheery yellow daffodil blooms.

The signs of spring aren't just visual--the happy sound of birdsong awakens me in the morning, and Monday evening as I drove home after dusk, I heard hundreds of frogs all along the ditchbanks.  The forecast for the rest of the week is much colder, and there is even a mention of that other "S" word, but I know that winter is truly coming to an end.

Spring--I love it!!

I am joining in with Carol of May Dreams Gardens and other bloggers across the world to celebrate spring this Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day.

Moving Forward

It's been a rough winter for me.  As many of you know, my mother passed away in early January.  Although we knew this day was coming, I just didn't expect it to be so soon.  Grieving has been a much slower process than I thought it would be.  I have been busy with all the usual little activities of life in addition to helping my Dad learn to cope on his own. And then out of the blue, I'll think of something I want to tell Mom or a question I have for her, and it hits me anew that she isn't here to share things with.

Mom and Dad with seven of the great-grandkids in 2008.
Two more were born after this, and Mom made a quilt for every one of them.

There were other moments of sadness in January, too.  Shortly after the first of the year, we lost my garden buddy Tarzan, who had been suffering from diabetes.

At the end of the month, we also lost our granddog Bear. A Mastiff, he was a rather intimidating sight to strangers at the door, but in reality he was a gentle giant.

Youngest grandson loved his big old Teddy Bear.

All in all, it was a lousy January.


And here it is March...

Weather-wise, we haven't had a bad winter.  January was one of the warmest Januarys on record, and I don't think we've had a day below zero (-18 C) all winter.  We had only one really bad day when the wind, more than the few inches of snow, caused hazardous driving conditions and forced all the schools to close.

Snowy days like those are the best time to hunker down indoors and enjoy a little bird-watching from the comfort of a warm living room.  The usual feathered friends appeared at the feeders, like this white-breasted nuthatch.

And the friendly tufted titmouse.

Even the red-tailed hawk decided to come in for a closer look, though I don't think he was interested in the feeders.  He stuck around for awhile, and I certainly hope he didn't find any little birds for his lunch here.

The male downy-headed woodpecker came by for his favorite suet treat, and then the female also appeared.

They weren't the only couples to visit, however.  On one snowy day, we counted at least 5 pairs of cardinals foraging on the ground and at the feeders.  Perhaps they were checking out the premises for suitable nesting places soon?

The cardinal is our state bird and my personal favorite. 

 I love their bright red coloring, especially against a backdrop of snow.

The red-bellied woodpecker, once a rare sight here, has now become a permanent resident, I think.

There have been many other visitors, too, including the blue jays that I wasn't quick enough to capture in a photograph.  But the sweet little chickadee is a cooperative photo model.

Since the beginning of February, the weather has been fluctuating wildly, to say the least.  One day the temps hit 70 for a new record, and daffodils could be seen poking up through the soil all over the place.

And just a few days later, we were back in full-blown winter.  And no, I know this isn't a stand of daffodils--it's sedum--but the daffodils were nowhere to be found on this snowy day.  I think my poor daffodils are confused, thinking one day that spring is here, only to hide away and go into hibernation the next.

The weather experts are predicting an early spring, and I, for one, would be so happy if they are right.
Spring is my favorite season, and I always find my spirits lifting this time of year no matter what the winter has been like.

In the past week, we have seen signs of its imminent appearance, first with my small stand of snowdrops that appeared suddenly through all the leaf debris.

And just a few days later, the first crocuses opened up.  All happy signs of so much more to come--I can't wait!


Usually, at this time of year I join in with Beth at Plant Postings for her Lessons Learned meme. I haven't had much time to think about gardening this past winter, so I can't say I've learned much about it recently.  But I certainly have learned some life lessons these past few months, and there is one in particular about my mother that I always want to remember.  My mother was a typical woman of the 50's--a housewife who put family first.  She cooked three meals a day from scratch, sewed most of my clothes, tended a large garden and canned enough produce for the winter, and drove a tractor when my Dad needed her help.  She never wrote a book, built a building, or was famous in any way.  Yet when friends and neighbors came to offer their condolences after she passed, they all commented how she had helped them at one time or another, always with a smile on her face.  The comment I heard over and over again was that they had never heard my mother say an unkind word about anyone.  I know they were sincere, because I honestly never heard my mother say anything negative or unkind about anyone either. What a wonderful legacy! I only hope I can follow my mother's example more in the coming years. This world could certainly use a little more kindness.

Remember there's no such thing as a small act of kindness.

 Every act creates a ripple with no logical end.

Scott Adams

April Bloom Day--Spring at Last!

April--the month I consider true spring here in Illinois.  We've had our share of April showers, of course, along with some wild weather including hail and threat of tornadoes.  But in between, the calm days have been sunny and warm, including Easter Sunday, which had to be one of the most beautiful Easters we've had in a long time, a perfect day for the grandkids to run through the yard hunting Easter eggs.  It is also the time when the garden finally wakes up, and each day seems to bring a new surprise.

For this Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, I am sharing a few photos that were taken last week.

The crocuses are fading fast, but they were a welcome sight to begin the gardening season.

Every year I plant more, and my efforts have been rewarded with some nice big clumps.  I love these striped crocus--'Blue Pearl,' maybe??--and must remember to add many more of these this fall.

The daffodils first opened up on Easter Sunday, appropriately enough.  The standard yellow NOID's are the first to bloom, but there will be many more of different colors and forms in the coming weeks.

One of my favorite small blooms of spring are these Scilla in the shade garden.  I don't remember if I planted more last fall or they have multiplied somewhat, but either way, more of these will be ordered this fall, too!

The Hellebores have taken awhile, but they have finally opened up, too.

Part of a collection I ordered from a mail-order company several years ago, they're all "ladies" of some type--'Red Lady,' 'Green Lady,' etc.--but I really don't know which is which, because they're all either white or deep red/burgundy.

The warmer temperatures last week really jump-started the hyacinths, which went from tightly closed buds to fully opened blooms in a matter of days.

I'm still not completely finished with gardening clean-up. due to rainy days and some other commitments.  But I couldn't resist planting a few pansies and violas in one pot.

One of the many delights of the spring are the surprises in the garden--surprises because I can't remember what I had planted the previous fall!   I had completely forgotten I had planted a few more miniature narcissus near my miniature Japanese garden until they appeared a few days ago.  On checking my notes, I found these are 'Topolino,'

Sasha kindly helped to show a sense of scale here so you can see just how diminutive these are.

Another surprise--some Chionodoxa, also known as "Glory of the Snow," under the lilac.  Actually, these bloomed last year, too, but once again, I had forgotten all about them.

Another new bloom this year--and one I had also forgotten I had even ordered, much less planted--are these Iris reticulata.  These are also planted by the miniature Japanese garden, and I think 'Harmony' is a perfect addition here.

 But my favorite surprise of all--Puschkinia scilloides, or Striped Squill.  I have admired these on other people's blogs for several years, and I can't believe I finally remembered to order some last fall.  Ten of these little beauties are blooming now, and I think they'll need some more company next year.

As I said at the beginning, all these photos were taken late last week, because by the time this posts, I will be in Texas cuddling my youngest grandson once again--no doubt posting lots of photos on Facebook:)  When I left, the lilac was leafing out, one flowering crabapple and the small serviceberry (above) were budding, and some tulips looked about ready to bloom.  Who knows what I will find when I return next week?  I am going to enjoy every minute of cuddling with Grandson, now almost four months old, but I'm looking forward to even more surprises in the garden when I return!

Thanks to Carol at May Dreams Garden for hosting GBBD each month and for her constant inspiration.  I expect this month will see a host of people joining in celebrating the arrival of spring.