Winter isn't over, but Spring has started!

Winter is not over here in Northeast Ohio -- early last week, I had to deal with this before I could leave the house. 

My sidekick, Willie, doesn't enjoy the snow as much as he use to, but he'll go outside and follow us around as we shovel paths and fill the bird feeders.

A fresh snowfall always increases the number of birds coming to the feeders and it provided some beautiful photo opportunities this time!

It was a "wet" snow -- perfect for building snowmen and creating inspiring winterscapes like this view of the hemlocks on the edge of the ravine at Penitentiary Glen Park near my home.

The snow stuck to everything and we woke up to a world that looked like it had been sprinkled with powdered sugar.  The next day, the skies cleared and the sun lite up every vista.

The fox squirrels that hang out in my yard took time for a bit of sunbathing.

My red witch hazel was in full bloom and the color still peered out from under a blanket of soft snow.

An afternoon walk at Holden Arboretum was filled with inspiration.  The snow laying on these trees reminded me of how I always outlined shapes before coloring them in during grade school.

The shadows were beautiful and I was particularly fascinated with the lacey pattern created by this tree which was still holding some of last year's leaves.  If you aren't personally acquainted with snow, sometimes it shimmer like diamonds -- snowflakes have to be large and the sun at just the right angle but it's difficult to capture with a camera..

Four days later, warm winds blew into town and melted the snow within hours and pushed the temperatures up into a spring-like range. 

Today there are glimpses of spring all around my gardens.

The full beauty of the witch hazel is revealed and it is glowing in the sunshine.

The snow crocus are blooming in front of the snow shovel.

The Lenten roses have pushed up their flower stalks and I spent a pleasant half hour yesterday pruning away last year's leaves so the flowers will be in the spotlight for the next few weeks.

Most of mine are creamy colors but this beautiful pink one is right in the center of the area where I have them planted.   Deer do not like to eat hellebores and so I'm planting more of them around my gardens.

The other early blooming plant that I love and keep adding to my beds are snowdrops.

The snow will be back on Thursday, 90% chance of snow, 3 to 5 inches and we'll have another chance to enjoy our part of the world in it's winter coat.

I hope your week is off to a beautiful beginning!!

 

Mary Huey

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday Morning in the Garden

It's 7 a.m. Sunday morning, a clear and cool 59 degrees (F) and the neighborhood blue jays have called me out into my garden.

Sitting still is not easy for me but I take my morning tea out to the summer dining space and listen to my neighborhood and look at my garden. 

This magnificent white oak shades my back garden most of the day and when I first moved here, it was such a challenge to garden alongside it but now I treasure this 100 year old giant for the connection it gives me to the history of this garden.

I moved here almost 19 years ago and the first summer, one of my daughters and I rediscovered this little concrete pond nestled at the base of the tree.  I'm sure the gardener than installed it had a much smaller tree 4 feet away and never considered that ponds should not be under trees.  Pond landscapers would be horrified with the "condition" but the 200 plus American toad tadpoles currently residing there seem quite content. 

I moved here from a sunny garden and struggled to find the best plants for a very shady yard but now I'm quite enamored with hosta.  My youngest sister shared starts of many of her favorites and although I can't "name" any of them, I delight in their calm display of texture and pattern.

This morning, pearls of dew had collected along the edges of the leaves.

The transcandentia is the only spot of color in that long bed this morning but a parade of white flowering plants have been watching the hostas burst forth for the past several weeks. 

For color and sun, I have to go to the front yard.  This David Austin rambler rose has had a difficult couple of years so I did a big cut back in hopes that it can regain some of its strength this summer. 

I was prepared for no flowers this spring, but there they are -- bless them!!

The front porch is scheduled for the big cleaning this afternoon, but the planter boxes I put together a few weeks ago are filling in nicely.  In a month, they'll be flanked on either side by trellises of blue morning glories. 

I'm sad to see the beautiful blue iris fading from bloom -- they have been glorious, but this spectacular foxglove is filling the gap.   

It's like the giant ones I've seen in English gardens -- so amazing. 

But my tea is getting cold and so I must go back to enjoy another hour of quiet in the back garden before church.  By the time we get home, the neighbor men will be out with their blowers and mowers!!

I hope you are having a peaceful Sunday in your part of the world!

Grateful for quiet moments!

Mary Huey