Things are growing, budding, leafing and even blooming here, due to two warm days (yes, we are counting them) and lots of rain. We are starving for green, so that's what caught my eye when I took my camera outside.
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The irises are in one of the warmest spots on our property. They have a southern exposure and are protected by the basement foundation and large shrubs. The sunbathing is so good, in fact, I'm a little surprised they're not wearing shorts and sunglasses.
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Fat leaf buds ready to unfurl. I wasn't sure if "leaf bud" was proper terminology but Google tells me it's okay.
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Miniature bleeding heart, a perennial. These plants are doing well in our garden and in a year or two I'll be able to split them and have more. The rocks are doing well too; those things multiply like crazy! I'll send you some for free if you like.
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These are annual dianthus that survived the winter, probably because it was so mild. About half the plants I put in last year are coming back. More rocks, plus dead stalks! I'm cleaning up a little at a time and clearly didn't get this far yet.
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Tiny bulbs that the deer do not like to eat
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A closer look. These pictures don't do full justice to the deep, electric blue of these flowers in real life. (edit: these are scilla siberica, or Siberian squill)
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Primula in purple. The leaves are very small this spring. I hope it's not thinking of dying on me, because it's one of my favourite plants.
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I took this picture because of the peony stalks (the two red shoots in the very middle of the photo) but it qualifies as a picture of something green because the dandelion leaf photobombed it.
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I'm enjoying this spring more than I did the last couple of years. My dad passed away three years ago this June, but he was very ill during April and May preceding that. Two years ago, I wrote about how that affected my feelings toward springtime in this post:
Flashback - May 2015.
This year the feelings are not quite so near the surface, and things are a little easier, but the greening of nature still goes hand in hand with remembering how hard he struggled to live.
I keep telling myself how much Dad enjoyed going for a good long walk in the spring, back before his stroke. Somehow, it helps.
*****
What's happening in your part of the world?
I hope May is treating you well.
Heartfelt hugs and oceans of caring.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds as if the sweetness is slowly/mostly gaining ascendency in these bitter sweet memories. Which I am sure would have pleased your father. And a very happy imminent (or belated) birthday to you too.
Thank you, EC. You always make a person feel better. And you are right, I think the sweetness is slowly gaining.
DeleteIt's lovely to see the new green growing things everywhere, I really love watching the leaf buds grow fat then unfurling into many tiny bright green leaves.
ReplyDeleteThose tiny blue flowers are lovely, do you know what they are?
Me, too, River - there's just something about the leaf buds!
DeleteThe tiny blue flowers, I have just now found out, are scilla siberica or Siberian squill. I searched for them last year on the internet but had no luck. This year, I found a better bulb/flower i.d. website and got lucky!
Bleeding heart is such a good name for a plant isn't it? Very dramatic.
ReplyDeleteWe lost our Dad's at a similar time. It's hard isn't it? I've been using my father's garden tools recently and it's a nice way to feel close to him. I'm so glad we did keep things from my parents house now as the good memories about him are beginning to block out some of the bad ones.
I'm so glad to hear that, Joey. It takes time but I believe it eventually comes about.
DeleteAbout the bleeding heart, to be honest, I used to be squeamish about the name when I was younger and heard my mother refer to it. It was only after I started growing it, really, that I could get past the name! It's an easy one to remember, which is handy.
I hope time will continue to help with the loss of your Dad, Jenny.
ReplyDeleteSpring is slow but everything is starting to grow here too.
Thanks, Marie; I think it will. Spring IS slow this year, isn't it?
DeleteIt takes a while to get over those 'anniversary dates' doesn't it? Both my parents chose October to pass in...also the month of my birthday and my grandsons birthday....it took me years to be able to get through October without tears in my eyes every single day of the month. I'm glad Spring is starting to look better to you now.
ReplyDeleteIt's just hard to get past the reminders, isn't it? I can see why October would be very hard for you indeed.
DeleteI read the flashback and was struck by how low you must feel every May. Stay strong and healthy for your father’s sake if for no other reason.
ReplyDeleteThat's a good way to look at it, Terry; a very good point.
DeleteI'm glad things are easier this year. What ARE those bulbs with the blue flowers? Red of "Hiawatha House" showed the same flowers, I think. On his blog they looked like blue-eyed grass, but on yours they definitely look more bulb-like.
ReplyDeleteRed's flowers were a bit different, although I have some of those ones as well. The ones I showed in this post, I've just found on a bulb i.d. website and they are scilla siberica, or Siberian squill. No, I don't live in Siberia!
DeleteI think the other little bulbs which you said looked like blue eyed grass are actually chionodoxa luciiae, or glory-of-the-snow. Mine look just like them.
DeleteLittle to report except one anemone in bloom and lots of green leaves. Oh, and fruit tree blossoms. Not too bad an inventory, actually.
ReplyDeleteNot too bad, is right! I can't wait for that burst of little leaves that turns all the trees into hazy green!
DeleteMy sympathies are with you - I hope you find comfort in happy memories of your dad. And I got a chuckle out of the dandelion leaf photobomb. They seem to excel at that! Since our homestead was only cleared out of deep forest last year we don't have dandelions in our yard yet, but I'm sure it won't be long before they arrive.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy being dandelion-free while you can, Diane! ha ha . . .they WILL arrive . . .
DeleteSpring is fully underway here, and the peach and pear trees have tiny peaches and pears on them.
ReplyDeleteZsuzs' cacti have kinda shriveled up, most likely from the rain we finally got last month, but they may yet revive. The sweet peas are in full flower and smell glorious.
Spring is always a reminder of nature's renewal, and that can indeed be bittersweet when you think of those no longer around to experience it, so I try to use it as a reminder to enjoy it while I'm still around, as I'm not getting any younger.
Have a pleasant weekend, if you can.
-Doug in Oakland
That is the attitude I'm trying to adopt, to enjoy things while I can. I'm not getting any younger, either :)
DeleteEnjoy watching your peaches and pears grow!
Spring has sprung. Yay! Glad that time has helped with the healing process. Take care.
ReplyDeleteYay is right! Thanks, Mr. S. - you too.
DeleteI know that feeling. After months of suffering my mom passed away on June 7th at 11:50. My birthday is June 8th. The first few years I tried not to think about it but the wave of sadness always came. It is easier now and I am comforted by the fact that she suffers no more. I do wish, though, that she had met all my grandchildren and that they had a memory of her.
ReplyDeleteIt is good to see that spring has come to Canada. Enjoy every moment as it is short, but very beautiful. New life brings new opportunities and sometimes a lot of sneezing and red itchy eyes. We have to take the good with the bad.
Being past the suffering is a good thing to remember to help counter the sadness, Arleen. You had an especially hard connection to deal with.
DeleteSpring does seem short, doesn't it? When I was younger it seemed to last a long time! Now it's 6C here one day and 25C the next, and that's too fast an onset for me :)
Happ spring dear Jenny i am so happy that finally spring has started to sprinkle colors around you and you are capturing them so beautifully!
ReplyDeletehope your soul get touch of this spring in depth
Thank you, baili. I love the thought of spring "sprinkling colours" around! I hear your country has broken its heat record recently - stay safe and as cool as possible, my friend.
DeleteIt's so lovely to see spring growth. I love this season with all its awakenings.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to hear things are easier this spring, although we always feel that tug when it gets close to the time we lost a loved one. There is always an underlying ache but eventually we learn to live with a new normal.
I love this season, too, so I'm glad the sadness is receding a little; I'm hopeful that will continue as the years pass.
DeleteDear jenny_o, in my part of the world--Independence, Missouri, USA--we had about one day of spring weather and then leaped immediately into summer with high temperatures and humidity. Winter simply wouldn't let go and spring didn't have a chance! The Bradford pears have bloomed and now the petals dot the grass and sidewalks. The magnolia trees are blooming now, the daffodils and tulips. Lovely. I like your green! It's true mostly that if we look for something, we can find it. Peace.
ReplyDeleteThank, you, Dee - I should have included a picture that was more representative of the browns and grays we mostly see here, just for contrast! But the greens are much lovelier to the eye just now :) Your surroundings sound lovely; magnolias are especially nice and we don't have many in our area.
DeleteDear Jenno_o, the blossoms have been swept from the trees by a torrential storm that accompanied a tornado touch down a few miles away. Now we are truly in summer! Peace.
DeleteA tornado! I hope there wasn't too much damage or, worse, loss of life. That is one sign of summer I'm glad we don't have!
DeleteHappy belated birthday to my birthday mate! I hope your day was wonderful.
ReplyDeleteSame to you, Angela; I hope your day went according to plan!
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