Happy Spring, Everyone!

March 22, 2010

This past winter has, undoubtedly, been really harsh and the first day of spring was most welcome. What was especially nice, here in the Northeast, was that the weather became suddenly spring-like, with bright sunny days and temperatures nearing 70-degrees F. It was great to be outdoors and to clean up the grounds. It is wonderful to see signs of spring all around. Here are some photos, which make it kind of hard to believe that there was snow on the ground just last week! For more signs of spring, be sure to check out Francesca and Sharkey's blog, The Daily Wag.

: This is an allium breaking through the soil in the new allium border, planted last autumn.

: These purple crocus have been spreading out each year.

: They are such a lovely shade of lilac.

: Verdi is enjoying the warmth of the sun.

: Fernando has been busy putting a new coat of stain on the wooden top of the pergola.

: He is careful to cover the granite uprights with painter’s plastic before staining.

: The garden cart fills up quickly at this time of year.

: Gyurme is enjoying working outdoors in the warm weather.

: Chhiring, my foreman, is happy that the long winter is finally over.

: This cluster of puschkinia gets thicker each year.

: The honeybees love the puschkinia.

: You may have noticed that there is a bumper crop of pine cones this year in the Northeast.

: A good, old-fashioned raking is great for the lawn in the early spring.

: Pete Sherpa hauls a load.

: Bulbs of all types are pushing through the soil in this perennial border.

: Wilmer has been busy in the greenhouse planting seeds for the vegetable garden.

: The vegetable garden is all clean and ready to be planted. With warm weather, it’s tempting to start, however, we can get frost right into May.

: The blueberry patch has been nicely pruned.

: My tulip border is growing beautifully.

: Deep in the woods, alongside the carriage trails, the daffodils planted last autumn are growing nicely.

: A moss-covered stone wall

: More moss-covered stones in the woods

: The very distinctive skunk cabbage spathe

: A thick tapestry of moss

: These are delicate moss capsules, which manufacture spores, used in reproduction. When the moss plant is ready, the capsules open, releasing mature spores.