Signs of Spring

Last weekend we had beautiful weather to usher in spring in New England.  Our garden is always slow to awaken.... seemingly slower than even my neighbor's gardens.  I think because most of our yard is partial shade to shaded that we seem to be a bit behind everyone else around us.  This makes for a challenge to grow veggies and flowers with so little sun, but I keep trying!

The crocuses came up for the first time last week... (told ya things were slow in our yard).  I was surprised to see a bee on one - not a honey bee but a pollinator indeed!

Crocus are some of my favorite flowers. They bloom for such a short period of time, but always bring a smile to my face after a long winter.

I didn't plant any of the crocuses in my yard... they are all completely naturalized. Every year there are a few more and it's always so exciting to see them popping up in so many different places.

Some daffodils are coming up too.  They haven't bloomed yet in my yard although my neighbor's across the street has finished blooming.... her yard is in full sun all day.... hate her!  Ok, only kidding....

The grape hyacinths I planted in the fall are also popping up. Can't wait to see them in full bloom.

Finally a tulip shoot! I planted close to 50 bulbs last fall, but sadly only a few are popping up. We had such a harsh winter and I'm not sure if I planted them deep enough... well live and learn.

I put out most of the houseplants outside for a breath of fresh air and to soak up the warm sun. These are only some of my houseplants - I've got over 20 inside the house.

For some reason the schefflera really suffered this winter. It lost most of it's leaves, but has settled down and is coming along nicely. I leave it out all summer and in winter take it in. It usually has no problem adjusting, but this year it really struggled.... kind of feels like I did all winter.  ....notice the lovely garbage pail sitting on our porch... at least it's not bright blue and thankfully it's only there in the winter! Hubby doesn't always win! Tee Hee...