oh glorious spring!

(sorry, this post was written a week ago but I couldn't post as we have been having Picassa issues...grrr)

Today we take a break from vacation memories, spring keeps tapping on my door and telling me to come outside and play!

Our historically early (it's official, we just had our warmest March ever in the history of weather record keeping) spring continues to play out each day, with more birds, more buds, more green things popping through the earth, and more tulips bursting into bloom.

I don't ever recall an Easter where we could actually pick tulips for our tables, rather than buying them at the store!  And to look out the windows and see bright green grass everywhere, rather than melting sludge, is a delight to the eyes. (I have already started buying things to plant, I will be hauling them in out and for a bit...)

I have thrown caution to the wind and uncovered all of my flower beds, I had so many perennials trying to pop through I felt they needed to lose their winter blankets.  Considering the drought we had last fall, and our lack of snow through the winter, I was quite concerned that many plants would not survive.  But so far, so good.  I am sure I will lose some things, those darn delphiniums that I plant every year and never come back, I have just started buying them as if they are annuals.

The bleeding hearts are particularly lush this spring, already sporting tiny hearts that will soon blossom!

My perennial geraniums continue to spread like crazy, and will be one of the first things in my garden to bloom.  I have bought several kinds of salad greens to put in the ground, haven't done that quite yet, but I did get some spinach planted.

Fortunately pansies are readily available, and I greedily purchased several kinds to tuck in window boxes.  Is there anything more cheerful than a sweet pansy?  I have already picked up a very mature 'Tiramisu' heuchara and gently planted it in the ground, my collection grows as I just couldn't resist.  I also added a new columbine to the mix, as they are such a delicate way to greet the season.

I can't wait for the lady's mantle leaves to display the morning dew, one of my favorite plants.

Oh what joy to be able to enjoy our gardens early, and all of the delight and wonder they hold for us in the weeks to come!

(post scrpit:  let's hope all of these plants survive the cold temps this week!)