“They always say that times changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.”
— Andy Warhol
I felt my soul stir and my essence spring into life again when I finally began working the soil in my garden. I saw many good friends who were showing up to welcome me back. They gave me a spiritual push giving me much needed renewal and energy. The smell of the soil and grass stirred some new life in me that had been buried under the snow of this long winter.
My garden is my sacred place. It is where I feel happy, serene, curious, contemplative and at home. The wildlife that visit me in my garden inspire me to continue to recreate my garden for them. And then there are the beautiful plants and blooms that pop up more every day albeit slowly due to the cold beginning to April.
Whatever is at the center of our life will be the source of our security, guidance, wisdom, and power.
Stephen Covey
It is truly inspirational right now as I snap picture after picture to try to capture the beauty everywhere. And I actually have more than a few flowers for Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day to show you. I am joining Carol@May Dream Gardens who hosts Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day on the 15th.
You may notice that I adore purple flowers and maybe my love of purple is why my front door is also purple. Or maybe it is because they say that purple is the most spiritual color.
Crocus
Language of Flowers–Youthful gladness
Iris reticulata
Language of Flowers–I Have a Message for You; Good News
See the winter aconite peeking through in the background.
Hellebore
Language of Flowers–Scandal, Calumny
Squill and Chionodoxa
Language of Flowers–Forgive and forget
Puschkinia or Striped Squill
Chionodoxa or Glory of the Snow
Muscari
Language of Flowers–Usefulness
Hyacinth
Language of Flowers–Constancy
Daffodil
Language of Flowers–I desire a return of affection; regard, chivalry
Can you see it….it is starting to emerge. It is almost here. The first daffodil of spring. Daffodils are prefect harbinger for spring because they seem to bring sunshine where there is little in the first days of spring here in the Northeast. We seem to have more gray days, but they are brightened considerably by these yellow flowers. Those that study colors and their meanings say too much yellow can be overstimulating, but when you have little color daffodils will bring so much cheer. I know I feel more energetic and optimistic in the presence of daffodils in my garden. I have so many that continue to naturalize. Perfect for my wildlife garden as the wildlife leave the daffs alone. And this year, I think I will bring some indoors to my home and office to continue to spread the happiness from my garden.
Foliage
I have some foliage beginning but nothing major as the garden is still slow to emerge, but let’s celebrate what we can find. I will be linking in with Pam@Digging for her Foliage Follow Up on the 16th, and Christina@Creating my own garden of the Hesperides for her Garden Bloggers Foliage Day on the 22nd.
I created a couple of galleries to showcase the many plants sporting spring foliage and new growth.
“The purpose of life is to discover your gift. The meaning of life is to give your gift away.” ~David Viscott
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Those Using Google Reader
You may or may not be aware that Google Reader will no longer exist after July 1st. If you have subscribed to my blog or others using Google Reader, you will need to find a new reader. There have been many folks who have blogged about new readers. I have tried both Bloglovin and Feedly and easily moved my Google Reader blogs to both of these. I have not decided which I like best, but I do have a Bloglovin badge on the sidebar if you want to click and sign up to Gardens Eye View again. Of course you can enter any URL in any of the readers out there and follow your favorite blogs.
I do hope you will continue to follow Gardens Eye View in your new reader. I greatly value your support and readership.
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Next up on the blog: Next Monday is Earth Day and I have a special book review. There’s another Wildflower Tale at the end of the month. The garden is a busy place these days and I hope to capture some of the highlights to share. I hope you will join me.
I will be linking in with Michelle@Rambling Woods for her Nature Notes meme. It is a great way to see what is happening in nature around the world every Wednesday.
I hope you will join me for my posts once a month at Beautiful Wildlife Garden. See my most current post now.
As always, I’ll be joining Tootsie Time’s Fertilizer Friday.
Please remember, to comment click on the title of the post and the page will reload with the comments section.
Beautiful Donna, but it is amazing to see these spring friends again, most are long gone from my garden which is now dashing headlong towards summer, without much pause to enjoy spring. Happy GBBD and happy gardening to you! Christina
Thank you Christina…I hope our spring is prolonged so I can enjoy the flowers which keep coming along to my delight!
All very pretty!
Happy Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day!
Lea
Lea’s Menagerie
Thank you Lea. Happy GBBD to you too!
Lovely Donna! Judging from your foliage pictures you seem parallel to us at the moment… my first daff opened two days ago! None of my iris reticulata came up this year -yours are so pretty, I’ll have to try planting some more in a different spot. And I just want to add that you express exactly my sentiments (and so well) in your first paragraph. Isn’t it just great out there! 😀
Oh Cathy how lovely of you to say so! It is a bit cold but it will snap out back to spring temps again.
So glad spring is reaching you! Those reticulatas are most special!
Thanks Tina. I love when the reticulata flower every spring.
Hi Donna…Your blooms are beautiful and I just love the ones that are striped….just incredible!! So glad spring has finally arrived in your area. It feels so good to be out working in the garden.
I love my striped blooms too…they are just so special. Glad you enjoyed them Christy.
Your crocus is glowing, as is your prose! Thank you!
Thank you Elaine…spring is definitely showing itself and it is stunning.
How lovely Donna, your garden really has come alive with a vengeance, if vengeance can be used to describe such beauty. Happy days!
Thank you Janet…I think vengeance is perfect as the colors are popping out all over.
Wow Donna! You have more blooms than I do. I have crocus and a few reticulated iris. The daffodils are up and so is the muscari but not quite blooming yet. None of my glory of the snow or anemones are blooming yet. You have many of my favorites! I like to add more spring bloomers each year and I need to add that aconite and squill. I notice columbine, the rhubarb just starting, and lady’s mantle and geranium foliage. Happy bloom day! My garden is my sacred place as well. Beautifully written.
Thanks Kathy….I love to add more bulbs too…I know you have had a terrible April with cold, wind and snow again…hoping your blooms spring up in large numbers.
Beautiful photos. I found you thru bloom day and so glad i did. Thank you for sharing so much spring and color.
Oh Yvonne how wonderful…I am so glad you enjoyed your visit and you will return.
Donna – your garden certainly says Spring. Gorgeous blooms indeed!
Happy Bloom Day!
Happy Bloom Day Angie….so glad you enjoyed the blooms!
Gorgeous photos Donna! I particularly love puschkinia, striped squill. Is that a native in your area? I wonder if it would grow for me….
Yes, I love seeing old friends in the garden too but many of mine are getting a bit sad because it keeps freezing every night!!! Ugh!
Thanks! No puschkinia is not a native to the US and I am sure it would grow for you. Hardy from zones 3-9. A great early spring bulb from Asia. Hoping it has warmed up for you.
Lots of bright colors in your spring garden – I love the deep blues you have! It’s great to see things FINALLY start happening, isn’t it?
It is wonderful. I love the deep blues too…amazing to see them all spring.
After each pic, you had “language of flower.” Were you referring to their names or color? Oh! you have just way too beautiful flowers!! Where do you buy them from, if I may ask? I don’t know if yellow is overstimulating or not but they make the whole place smile with joy and happiness – yellow flowers, that is
KL the language of flowers is based on the flower itself not the color…lots of history behind the uses of flowers which is where the language of flowers come from.
I buy my bulbs from many sites like Brecks, Dutch Bulbs and John Scheppers. Scheppers has tons of unusual bulbs.
beautiful blooms Donna, your garden really seems to be bursting into spring,
I completely understand how you feel at being able to get into your garden at last, I have been thinking of those people who live with snow long winters and I am not sure I could, I remember when I was in Winniepeg in a snow covered March ’94 and I found a covered park with lots of plants including trees, cafe/restraurants, music, childrens play area, the town was empty and this covered oasis was bursting with life and people, we need plants, I’m glad your long winter is over and hope the next will be kinder, Frances x
Thanks Frances…glad you enjoyed the first blooms…I am sure my next winter will be most interesting as I will be retired.
I switched to Feedly and like it well enough. I’m glad there was another option available so easily.
Yes, spring is happening. Your blossoms are lovely and I love that your snow is finally gone. Have a great week in the garden. 🙂 And thank you for your encouragement regarding my literary pursuits. I feel like I’m finally on the home stretch.
Good to hear Grace, and glad you enjoyed the blooms. Spring is definitely here.
I enjoyed your flowers and especially your opening quote…which reminds me of my own favorite saying from Benjamin Franklin: “The Constitution only guarantees the American people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself.” Happy spring!
Great quote Mary Anne…glad you enjoyed the blooms! Happy Spring.
So glad to see some blooms in your garden! And oh, they are so pretty! Gorgeous pics. I know exactly what you mean about going outside and digging in the dirt. It’s addicting!
Sure is addicting Holley…the blooms just keep coming and it is a new discovery every day.
You have so many beautiful Crocuses and Irises, Donna! This has been such a weird spring, hasn’t it? Your opener at the beginning was so inspiring. Thank you.
Oh Beth you are kind to say so. It has been a weird spring and cold March like weather again. Should warm up a bit more now.
You make me want to plant more bulbs! Love all the crocus! My daffodils have already bloomed and gone. I share your feelings about gardening. It’s work but so rewarding. Have a great week!
Brenda
I can’t get enough bulbs Brenda and have lots of notes to add more…hope you have fun looking at more you might add.
Not only a spiritual colour but the colour of royalty (ma’am) I am very well impressed at how quickly the blooms in your garden come through with a break in the weather. Look at Reticulata behaving like a true perennial in your garden.
You are so correct that purple is the color of royalty Alistair. My blooms in early spring are amazing as they bloom right through the snow or right after it melts and they can take the cold snaps we get like the one this past weekend. My reticulatas are well behaved here in the snow country.
Your words very much reflect how I feel about my garden too! You put it down into words much better than I could! It is magical to see the plants emerging from the soil after their winter slumber bringing so much life to the garden. Happy GBBD! Enjoyed your beautiful blooms & foliage!
Thanks Karin. So glad you enjoyed your visit. Spring is pure magic isn’t it!
Wonderful shots of your spring flowers. I used to have a lot of crocuses but many of them don’t come up anymore. Your post was a particular delight since I got to see your crocuses.
Carver how wonderful that I could bring you delight with the crocuses.
Such beautiful blooms for spring. I’m still waiting … plants are poking through but need more sun and warmth.
Looking forward to your book review.
I hope your blooms are warming up for a big show soon.
Hooray! It’s finally spring! Beautiful quotes and photos 🙂
It is a great party all season Rebecca…
Beautiful, Donna! I agree that seeing the first flowers of spring energizes me, too. I want to get out every day to see what is new in the garden and clean up the remaining brown debris of last year’s garden–if only it would stop raining here. The deep blue of the iris reticulata is stunning!
I know Rose it is late for cleaning the garden and I am not done. And there is so much left to do.
Wow! Your crocus flowers and photos are really beautiful! Happy Spring to you! Jeannine
Thanks Jeannine…happy spring indeed!
What gorgeous spring blooms!!
Thanks so much Karen!
Such beautiful color combinations you have found in spring! I really love your little thumbs of what you call foliage at bottom. Love seeing those creeping up in the ground at this time of year. Rebirth.
Rebirth indeed Leora….the new greens I think are the most stunning color backdrop for all the blooms.
Ahhhh, getting my spring blossom fix through you. Thank you. Here, the cold continues. So much was nipped in the bud.
Oh no Cheryl…I do hope your blooms will recover and show up for a great display.
Spring is really in the air !!!Amazing shots and I love their warmth…Have a great day!
Shantana
Shantana thank you for visiting and your wonderful comment…spring is filling the air with lots of bloomy perfume.
such rich and vivid colors… LOVE the striped crocus and the deep blue/purple iris!
Laura spring does bring out the most lovely of blooms and colors.
Donna, your flowers are gorgeous. I especially love the purple color, my favorite color for flowers. Beautiful photos.
Eileen than you for your kind words…purple is so lovely in the garden.
I wanna call this the April Blooms Month. That iris reticulata is really an attraction. I love how blue that flower is.
So glad you enjoyed the blooms…indeed it is April bloom month.
I so agree with you… getting back out in the gardens after such a long Winter is solace to the soul. We had a few days of perfect gardening weather where I basked in the warmth of the sunshine and got my hands dirty in the soil transplanting tender perennials. The last week as been very cold, (24° F in my gardens right now) and I’m feeling so anxious for it to warm up again so I can work the soil again.
A cold spell here too and so much not done in the garden. I do hope I can get the first round of clean up done soon. After all it will be May soon.
Oh my, what colors…sigh. How worth the wait to see all this beauty.
Jen
I agree Jen it is well worth the wait and as the blooms grow in they give me more delights.