Images of Spring
There's not too much knitting, crocheting or any other fiber craft for me to show today. I would say that I have too much work, but it's not really that. It's more like too much emotional baggage from work that leaves me unmotivated to be productive and feeling a little blue. So today I decided to take my camera outside and take some pictures of things tht did make me happy. Things that remind me of spring and of the renewal process that comes as a part of the changing of the seasons.
John and I are not what you would describe as good or attentive gardiners. But we do enjoy having green growing things around us in our yard. So when we decide to get new plants, we choose perennials that come up every year and require relatively little care. It's always a pleasant surprise for me when our little collection of hardy friends pops back up to say hello, especially the ones we started last year that we were a bit worried might not make it through the winter.
Our little French Lilac bush is making a very nice showing in her second year in our front yard. We didn't get any flowers last year, but we're hoping that this year we might have some fragrant blooms. Lilac is one of my very most favorite floral scents. And they take me back to some of my earliest memories when my family was in New York and we had these enormous and wonderful lilac bushes in our back yard and a pair of cardinals that lived in them.
Some plants in our yard are all about wishful thinking. Our front yard is shaded most of the time because of the tall buildings on either side of us. But it gets a little light. My mother has had peony bushes growing around our house for as long as I can remember. I've always loved their big feathery flowers and as a kid I liked to knock the ants that always seemed to congregate off the buds. While shopping for some new perennials last year, I discovered some peonies that claimed they could grow in "partial sun" and decided that I needed to give one a chance and see. So this one is planted at the base of the steps that lead up to the door. It's a treat to see the plant coming back. We didn't get any flowers last year. Was it the limited sun or just the plant getting used to its new digs? Hopefully this year we'll get a little show.
One of the banes of urban existance is the trash that blows every where and under our fences and into our yard. We thought it might be nice to fight this problem with a pretty green solution, and went out and bought some hardy lillies that would spread out and cover the base of the fence with a shower of green leaves and colorful flowers. What a pleasant surprise to see that all the plants that we put in the ground last year made it through the winter and are coming on strong now that the weather has gotten warmer. I love the simplicity and pluckiness of lillies. They grow everywhere from the most lavish gardens to freeway medians to little cracks in the pavement between buildings and they come in delightful happy reds, yellows, oranges and pinks. We planted a patchwork quilt of miniature varieties here by the fence to help us keep out the trash and add a flash of color to our yard.
The very first plants I bought for the house after we moved here five years ago were three clematis vines from Home Depot. Nelly Moser, Polish Spirit, and one who's name I can't remember. Clematis are another childhood favorite for me. My mother has always had them around her home. I love how they grow bigger and bigger every year and the vines begin to take over whatever area you give them to grow on. After 5 years, these plants are finally getting truly comfortable in their environment. Once agian, it's rather shady in our backyard, so they have to work hard to get high enough to reach the morning sunlight. But they persevere and every year they've worked to each give us a few flowers. Well, except for the Polish Spirit plant, which gives us a crazy huge man-eating vine full of flowers. We figure it likes being near my Polish husband.
So spring is indeed in full force around my house. And a nice breeze is blowing through my window. A reminder to me that no matter what is going on in my life, no matter what is happening at work, the world still rotates on its axis and nature still creates beauty out of the simplest things. And that I am truly lucky to have the opportunity to enjoy the show.
P.S. to my wonderful daddy -- Happy Happy Happy Birthday to someone who always reminds me that the most important things in life have nothing to do with being employed. Love you, Dad!
What wonderful and thoughtful choices you have made! Your garden is going to be full of blooms this year. Careful with those peonie ants--our local gardening store advised me that the ants eat a film/nectar from the blooms enabling them to actually open. So, the ants help. Kind of a nice symbiosis thing going on there. Good garden karma to enjoy the ants. (The blooms will probably open without the ants, but since they aren't pests...)
Happy Spring. And Happy Birthday to you dad!
Peonies can be persnickety about being transplanted so I'm not surprised they didn't bloom the first year. I'm guessing you'll have better luck with them this year and once they are established they will be fine.
Whoa, I had no idea that clematis came back! We've always put it on a trellis in a pot and treated it like an annual. (I have a greenhouse worker in the family, and sometimes she's a little eager to toss the asymmetrical or slow stuff.) These pictures are great; I just posted a photo of my little rhubarb nubs, and I couldn't be prouder. I'll have to snap them again this week, since they've grown.
Dana, good to know about the peony ants; I haven't seen any around, but I'll check for them this year!
Very nice! My peonies are on the south side of the house and maybe get too much sun (I know that's not really possible with them). They're already double the size of all my neighbors peonies and they'll get so tall that they fall over even before they get flowers!
I love your lilies along the fence. They're going to look great!
Oooohhhhh! I love green things, and your peony's are putting up shoots!
Spring is here!
I am jealous, about a third of my perenials did not make it through the winter.
I've always wanted a garden. I suspect that I won't actually want TO garden, but I want the pretty plants springing up everywhere.
Of course, that means I need a yard. One thing at a time.
Happy birthday, Theresa's Dad!
I was feeling ((bleech)) about work today as well (in the midst of Central FL - we never have anything but spring and summer, seems like). Your post reminded me to go outside and LOOK at something besides the interior of my 8x8 cubicle!
Happy birthday to your dad!
It's fun to see the things starting to grow in your yard - and it will be more fun to see them big and blooming in the near future. :)
Spring has sprung here on the Pacific Northwest coast. I also went outside and took pictures this morning...must be something inthe air.
Oh, you've made me so homesick (again)! After 20 years in Texas, I still miss lilacs - my parents' old house had two giant lilac bushes in the yard - and tiger lilies, just springing up in ditches. And I have to remember to tell my sister that the ants are doing good work with the peonies, because she used to call them 'ant plants.'
The flowers are going to be nice when the weather get warmer. I like the idea of planting lilies along the fence. My lilies always do well and I'm not a very active gardener at all.
Happy Spring Theresa,
I had some non-blooming peonies for 2 years. I did some research and realized that if they are planted too deeply they will never bloom. So, if you cannot see the tops of the roots, they may be too deep. I lifted mine 2 years ago, and they are planted very shallow. They are filled with spectacular blooms every year!
good luck, happy knitting!
Regina
The spring is one thing I find amazing about Michigan. I have always lived somewhere, where Spring is months long. Here it is a frenzy as plants frantically send out shoots, flowers and green up to make use of the short growing season. I love that I can see the plants growing before my eyes....plants that a month ago looked dead. My garden is a year old/year reloved....it is fun seeing the perennials I uncovered and pruned and fertilized actually respond with flowers and growth this year.