Friday, April 5, 2013

Waiting for Spring

Just like much of the rest of the country, Springtime is arriving slowly in the Great Plains. The Sandhill cranes were a few weeks later to arrive on the Platte river, the robins a bit later to arrive in my back yard. I’m keeping track of the hummingbird migration map and the trail of sightings is ever so slowly inching northward. The boys and I have been enjoying this live webcam feed of a hummingbird nest in southern California, and now I can’t wait to show them one in real life. It will be a different species since we only get ruby-throated hummers here as they pass through on their way north, and they are beautiful.

This past week has been warmer and sunny and we’ve been able to be outside to enjoy it. I started some clean-up of the dead, brown garden beds, but need to wait a few more weeks to see what will green up yet. I fear many of my perennial herbs may not have survived this past winter…

While there are bits of green out there, nothing is blooming yet. Feeling a need for some color besides brown, I picked up some pansies at the nursery when the boys and I went the other day to check out some other plants. They are big and beautiful and hopefully add a cheery touch to the front porch.

DSCN4542I planted them in an old colander I picked up at a garage sale last summer for 50¢. Lined with burlap and filled with potting soil, it will need some attention to keep moist, but I love it on the old high chair next to the front door. There will be more added to “Springify” the front porch, but I’m good with this for the moment. We have a rainy forecast for the weekend, so I’ll wait for that to pass.

One thing that is not waiting, though, is the magnolia tree. It is finally budding and I’m very excited. Yesterday it did not have flowers. Here’s what I found today:

DSCN4541 

By tomorrow this bud be fully bloomed. Heck, it’s going to be so warm today that we might see a whole flower by this afternoon! I expect the entire tree to be budding/bloomed by the beginning of the week. Yea! Springtime IS coming to stay!

 

 

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6 comments:

  1. I love that colander full of pansies. Mine here in the South have been really blooming. The blooms are palm sized and smell so wonderful.

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  2. Hooray for spring, Tammy! I am so excited to know that pansies are out now. When I go shopping tomorrow, I'm definitely going to look and see if pansies are in the garden center. I certainly hope so - I want some for my front porch, too! It looks so bare.

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  3. Love the pansies in the colander! So sweet!

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  4. Same weather here Tammy. I am so ready for spring this year. But yesterday and today, although cold, the sun is shining. That is cheerful and should help the plants.

    We have three trays of pansies to plant up. Yesterday, Jos made me a new planter in my paving by the front door so we did not get around to planting them. I am hoping to today or Jos will have to do them tonight in the dark. :-) Rain is coming for the rest of the week.

    Hugs from Holland ~
    Heidi

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  5. Those pansies in the colander are beautiful, but I must tell you, the yellow magnolias are my favorite! I am a sucker for those beauties, and it baffles me as to why I have yet to plant any in my own yard! I certainly hope the weather we've had the past few days has not harmed those fragile buds. Funny thing here is, one of my (many) Christmas cactuses is in full bloom in my porch. Ah well, I'll take a splash of color in the old porch, any way I can get it :-). Happy Spring!!!

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  6. Love the bowl of pansies on the weathered chair! My pansies are trying to hold on, but it's pretty warm here already so I don't have much hope for them.

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Thanks for sharing!