Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Early Spring

By SKEETER Spring has arrived early in my Georgia Garden! The daffodils have been blooming for a couple of weeks. We have had wonderful weather for about 3 weeks now. Most days have been in the 70's. We have had some days in the 80's as well either tying or hitting record highs for February. This beautiful weather has gotten me off my rump and into the yard, Full Steam Ahead!
Spring is my favorite season and daffys bring such joy to me with their bright yellow blooms. This is a really large one.
Hyacinth in colors of Pink, White and Blue are putting cheery smiles on my face as well. I love the way these things smell and since I have had luck with them, I believe I will add more to my gardens this year once the prices go on sale.
Lookie here what I found in the Spring Planter! The Hellebore finally giving blooms after 3 years with me. Ignore the weeds, after all, it is spring ya know. I was so excited to see the hellebore blooming.
I had never heard of Hellebore's before blogging. I have not spotted any in our garden centers with casual strolls either. While in Tennessee a few years ago, I spotted them and my mom bought me one for my birthday. The thing was too soggy the first place I planted her. She almost died on me that first year. I took her out of the ground and she spent a year back in her pot recovering. Last year I put her into the Spring planter, and now blooms!
I was thrilled with one bloom but I have 3 total. I am so happy and hope she gets bigger and stronger and makes a bold statement for me some day.
The Forsythia has been trying to bloom for over a week. She could not contain herself any longer and decided to burst open with her glowing self.
Yellow is such a bright color when the sun shines above.
The Phlox is blooming also which is a sure sign of Spring.
The Wild Plum trees have exploded with blossoms practically over night!
I just adore those sweet tiny blossoms. Too bad they don't hang around long but soon, the deer and bunny's will be eating plums off the ground.
The Saints Crab apple Tree is getting full of green leaves. I hope to see Blossoms before long. We are trying our best to keep the squirrels from this tree. They like to eat the buds and we solved that issue last year. But now, some of the critters have solved the mystery of our Squirrel deterrent and are once again getting to the tree. Stinking little critters. If they were not so darn cute, I would get rid of them all!
Iris are looking healthy for their first blooming season with me. Can't wait to see the big blooms Tina! Again thanks for passing along a plant that reminds me of my grandmothers. Iris is one flower I should aways have in my garden for the fond memories. Lily's are coming up everywhere! It looks as though all those Free Lilies from last year have survived their first winter in my garden. At the rate they are going, I may be dividing some next spring.
Peony are peeking out of the ground. They, like me, are not sure all that cold stuff is gone for good just yet. I have taken up the "Welcome Mat" from Mr. Jack Frost. I do not want him to drop by for a visit. If he does, it may be a sad day for the local farmers with fruit trees blooming.

As I type this, a small flock (about 2 dozen) of Robins are entertaining me outside my windows. They are working the lawn from the East side of the house to the West side looking for worms. They are a sure sign of Spring. And of course, it would not be Spring without those pretty but pesky Dandelions in the grass. I had such a SAD winter but now that is a mere memory. The glorious weather has given me a burst of energy and I find myself outside more and more these days. I am so happy that we are having a EARLY SPRING, In the Garden...


Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team, In the Garden

26 comments:

  1. I am happy to hear that your SAD season has ended. How could it not with all that beauty bursting out all over your property. That daffy is huge and I love your hyacinths, and hurray for your hellebore finally blooming for you. What a treat! I really enjoy seeing all the spring bloomers that others have sprouting and blooming, as down here in s.e. FL, we don't have those harbingers of spring.

    Enjoy and happy gardening,

    FlowerLady

    ReplyDelete
  2. Skeeter,

    Your garden is way ahead of us! The phlox is still gray and we have been watering it. Our daffys only a few blooms thus far. Your hellebore looks really good maybe it'll make seeds so you can have babies.

    In Carrboro the garden center there has lots and lots of hellebores, guess the deer have made them a big ticket item since they do not eat them.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Your gardens and mine look very similar right now! I have yet to find anything cute about squirrels...fingers crossed that winter will continue to leave in a mild fashion.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Isn't it amazing how spring just suddenly appears when you think you can't take another day of winter? Your garden looks lovely. Enjoy your beautiful weather. Carla

    ReplyDelete
  5. So glad to see you are full speed ahead! It's a must with so much happening in your garden. I love that hellebore. Three blooms is awesome! Glad it is doing well and you did not lose it. Happy gardening!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Your gardens are light years beyond us. So wonderful to see that Spring has arrived... somewhere.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Looking great Skeeter! You're a week or two ahead of us I think. the forsythias are getting ready to bloom and the hyacinths are just starting to stretch upward. An exciting time of the year!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Good Morning everyone! Seeds in the ground yesterday and an inch of rain over night. Just perfect but a cool nip in the air this morning. Looking for a warm up by noon...

    Flowerlady, I always learn something new on the blog. Today would be that SE Florida does not have spring bloomers such as here! I just assumed Daffodils were all over the south. Gee, I cannot imagine spring without seeing daffys all over the place. Blogging is great to assist in such instances….

    Randy, I give Blogging credit for bringing hellebores into my life! Now that I know I can grow them, I will be on the lookout for more. My phlox is not as pretty as last year due to me being absent and not keeping them watered properly throughout the year. They are tough little plants so hopefully, they will make a strong comeback. Spring will be your way soon…

    Darla, I am an avid animal lover so I see cuteness in all critters. Even the pesky one’s in my life such as squirrels. There are times when I could strangle them if only I could catch them though. We have 2.5 acres of land plus 15 wooded acres behind and 8 wooded acres across the street from out house. I wish the squirrels would spend more time in the woods and less in my gardens. They mostly hang out around the bird feeders and I make it a point not to plant anything too close to them in hopes they will stay out of the gardens. In other words, I try my best to live in harmony with all the wildlife around me. It is difficult at times though…

    Carla, Yes, One day I am deep in a funk. Then the weather turns warm and practically overnight, things blooms and I bounce back to life! I had such a horrible winter that I am super happy about an early spring. Even if it should turn cold again, I know it will not be for long and I am out of my funky state of mind! Spring is the best medicine for SAD for sure…

    Tina, you don’t know how close I was to tossing that hellebores into the compost pit two years ago! I think the only reason I hung onto her was because my mother gave it to me. I wanted to give it every chance I could to bounce back and just like me, the hellebores has bounced back to life! I am anxious to see the iris in bloom girl…

    Carolyn, Hang on, spring is on the way! Soon I will be fussing about the humidity in the air but until then, I will be out playing in the gardens like a crazy lady! LOL We like living in the Deep South with our early springs and late falls seasons. We are the first to see color and the last to see color. Not a bad trade off for a few months of sticky weather…

    Sherlock, Thank you! And it is nice to be back! I feel like my old self again and not some strangely depressed stranger that seems to overtake my body in the winter months. Soooo good to be back and digging in the warm soil…

    ReplyDelete
  9. Dave, Yes, my favorite time of year! Hang on, spring is on the way! But with all the storms in the area, I think you know that already. Thank goodness we had the rain but the storms missed our neck of the woods....

    ReplyDelete
  10. I would be jumping for joy, too, with all these lovely images of spring, Skeeter! Just beautiful! You've lifted my spirits, too; it's brown and gray outside my door right now, but these photos are reminding me that spring will come to all of us soon.

    Congratulations on the hellebore blooms! I had never heard of them either until I started blogging; now I have five of them that I hope will put out more blooms in this, their second season, than they did last year. They're one of the very few plants that stay green in my garden all year.

    Temps in the 80's?? I get excited when the thermometer hits 50 here:)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Skeeter, I am so glad to read that you had a Hellebore that didn't bloom first season, and if mine doesn't bloom next season I will remember yours took three years to bloom. Thanks!!!
    Spring is indeed popping out all over.
    We have a tree in the neighborhood that is blooming now and it might be the wild plum, I will have to investigate more. How large/small are the blooms?

    ReplyDelete
  12. That sure is a lotta pretty color for me when all I see is white. Last year I had peas and potatoes planted the first of April but I do not see that happing this year but I will still take my gorgeous 4 seasons over all that summer heat down there. I may rethink that if we have another winter like this next year! I think we are paying for the past 14 months (not counting January & February) with above normal temps, actually record breaking above normal temps.

    I wonder if you grease the stovepipe up it would help keep the squirrels outta the tree. Or are they jumping to it from something else?

    I have also been playing in the dirt. Only it is in my den where I have a big storage tote that I mix my dirt in. I have planted over 100 seedlings. That is all just in flowers. Only have 3 tomatoes and peppers for veggies so far. Now I need to get serious about the veggies but I am waiting for an order to come from Pine Tree Seeds. For anyone that buys seeds they have the cheapes prices of anyone else that I have ever seen for most things.

    ReplyDelete
  13. What a cheerful post! Love those spring pictures. Winter is still going strong here, with plenty of snow and chilly temps, but maybe the crocuses will bloom before the end of the month.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Hello Skeeter, Tina, Nina, Jean, Dawn & Anonymous. A beautiful day here. So many blooms to enjoy.
    I too have the Daffy's Skeeter & thought they were everywhere. My Flowering Almond is ready to pop with all those lovely blooms. I brought it back from Tn. so it should grow for you.
    Love that Hellebore. That color is awesome.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Wow spring has definitely arrived to your garden Skeeter! :)

    ReplyDelete
  16. I have been running around town checking out Garden Centers today! Still just your standard pansy, daffy, tulip, phlox, hyacinth in stock for now. But all their racks are in place and ready to be filled with blooming beauties! I found some thrift store bargains to put into the garden and am happy with those finds. All Bradford Pears are in full blooms and look like snow with the sun shining on them!

    Rose, Yes, even on cooler days such as today, the sun warms up the car and it feels much warmer outside then it really is on the thermometer. In the shade I could feel that cold front but still not cold like a few weeks ago. Burrrrrr, hang in there as it is headed your way soon….

    Janet, Good Luck on those Hellebores. I shall hunt for a red one next. If you look closely to the picture showing many blossoms, you can see a power line in the background. That should give you an idea of how small the blossoms are. A bit smaller then a Bridal Wreaths blooms...

    Jean, I hate the cold weather so keep your snowy season. LOL…. The squirrels are now jumping right up to the limbs of the tree by passing the stovepipe. Little stinkers have learned to come a running and take a leap. Little toots. I wish I could start plants inside but I rarely have luck with them plus I would only be fighting off the cats as usual when I do try. I cannot wait to get my few houseplants to the front porch. I think it is a bit too early now but I want to take them out so badly….

    VW, I saw on TV where Washington had snow and I thought of you! I am so grateful for an early spring. Winter about did me in this year but that is a mere memory for me now. I am so over the cold and jumping into the warmth now. Still getting chilly nights but those I can take as I like it cool at bedtime…

    Lola, Funny you mentioning the Flowering Almond. In one garden center a blooming plant caught my eye and I looked at the tag and it read Flowering Almond! How about that, first one I recall seeing. It was pretty too but I backed off for now. I may go back and get it later on though as it was that pretty…

    Racquel, My in-laws in Virginia keep complaining about the cold and I am sure I will get an earful after they read this post! LOL, It should be there in a few weeks so get ready to rumble yourself….

    ReplyDelete
  17. I can only hope that some of those temps make their way up here soon. Our daffodils just started to open this week, and it seems everything else is following shortly behind. I am glad things are not so SAD for you now.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Spring certainly has arrived in your neck of the woods. Here too but not nearly as advanced. Glad to hear you're feeling better! Warm sunshine is a wonderful medicine!

    ReplyDelete
  19. It is great to see all the signs of spring in your garden because it means spring is on its way here. You hellebore does not look to be just any hellebore, but some special species cross with the three-part leaves with marbling and the outward facing flowers. Do you know what it was called? As you discovered, the only thing that can kill a hellebore is bad drainage.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Oh yeah! I feel your excitement as spring is definitely there. On its way here too, but impossible to confirm with several inches of snow left to melt. It's the mud, mud mud that has me sure it's on the way.

    ReplyDelete
  21. I can't believe all those spring flowers and how nice your weather is! Loved seeing the daffodils. Glad you're feeling better, I'm waiting for some sun here and I know it'll perk me and the plants up too.

    ReplyDelete
  22. SO glad you're feeling better Skeeter! Those hellebore blooms, and the daffs, hyacinths, and forsythia are gorgeous. Looks like you've got a lot of green! Enjoy!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Carolyn, I have no idea as it was on the bargain bin with nothing but a tag that said, "Hellebore" This is a real drawback to bargain bin purchases....

    ReplyDelete
  24. I was cleaning out the garden shed today and I found the tag to the Hellebore.I did not remember having one, oh well....

    It is "Green Corsica"

    ReplyDelete
  25. Hello Skeeter, am so glad your winter is over and your garden seems to be very happy welcoming you too. Very beautiful blooms there, esp your hyacinth! Happiness is the vibration of your whole garden inhabitants!

    ReplyDelete

ALL SPAM WILL BE PROMPTLY FRIED. PLEASE DO NOT LIFT PHOTOS OR WORDS. THANKS!