The crocuses have finally bloomed...

I came home to a wonderful surprise this afternoon.  My crocuses are blooming!  Is it just me or do they seem to be late this year?  It seems that they are usually blooming the end of February into early March.  The daffodils are budded and will be blooming soon also.  Goodbye, Old Man Winter....

 

What's growing on?

I took a walk around the yard today to see what was emerging from it's winter rest.  It was in the high 20's while I was out.   At this time of year, a week can make such a difference in what the landscape looks like....that and a few warm days with sunshine.  I like to wait to take the leaf cover off because of the extremes that March can bring so the flower beds still look a little grungy. 

Crocus getting ready to bloom soon

Foxglove

Daffodils....the yellow is so vibrant when they bloom that I can see them when I turn onto my road.

Onion chives

Now everyone can see my worst flower bed....this is one that is getting a total overhaul this spring.  Too crowded and too weedy last year.  The surprise (resurrection) lillies and what I call roadside lillies (the orange ones) are really starting to grow.

Peony buds

Lilac buds....these grow along almost the length of our lot line.  When they bloom, the fragrance is incredible.

Maple tree flowering....I hope the neighbors weren't looking when I took this one.  I had to climb and stand up on the LP gas tank to get close enough.  



Top left, Shasta daisies....top right, grape hyacinth

Bottom left, daylillies....bottom right, columbine

Soon, this will be a mass of bright red tulip blooms

Boo for me!  It has been two weeks since I have posted...need some slow down time.  Between travels and driving to work, I have put 3,500 miles on my car in about a six week time period.  No wonder I haven't blogged!
Our snow is all gone now with temps generally in the high 30's to low 50's.  I swear that the grass is greening up already!  We have yet to have many good spring thunderstorms which always make the grass look greener to me.  I have attended a storm spotting class in the last week, so I am ready to be out there.
I am hoping to get outdoors this weekend and get some pictures of the "growings on" here.  Spring is almost here....

After a Winter Storm Warning Thursday night for 5-9" of snow and waking up to only 2"....what a disappointment....that melted when the sun came out, to enough Friday night to make everthing white again only to be melted again, to a 100% chance of thunderstorms tonight.  Yes, it is starting to feel like spring is trying to take hold in the Midwest.

 Trusty red ruler out to measure the latest "storm".

The snow must have come straight out of the north overnight by the look of the oak tree. 

This snow was heavy and wet.  The pretty kind that makes everything have a layer of white on it making the landscape look like a Christmas card.  Lauren must have thrown a heart rug down on the patio which made this pretty snow heart....sans Riley's paw prints as he ran through....

The garden blanketed in snow....soon....

Bulbs coming to life

I was catching up on some of the blogs that I like to follow when I noticed that May Dreams Gardens, who is also zone 5, noted that her crocuses were up.  Of course that sent me straight outdoors with my camera in tow looking for signs of bulb life in my gardens.  This is what I found....

 The crocuses are coming up!  This piqued my curiousity about the daffodils....

They too are starting to grow.  I found this under the mulch still.  I could see mounds in the mulch that were covering the emerging leaves.

Spring is coming after all....

Outside walkabout

I came home from a trip for work to find that our snow is gone.  It was a good opportunity to check what was going on out there.

 My onion chives are greening up.  I checked these first knowing that if I need to see some promise of spring, these are always a good standby.

 These "surprised" me....my surprise lilies AKA Resurrection Lilies are coming up already.  They are up next to the south side of the house so they do get a bit more warmth.

 Bearded iris

 Foxglove

A couple of several mouse runs that I found. 



What's bloomin'?

I have a couple plants that are blooming right now in my potting shed.  Both of these are plants that I had outdoors last summer and brought indoors in the fall.

Sweet William

Gerbera Daisy....this is probably one of my favorite flowers.