It was such a pleasure to sink one’s hands into the warm earth, to feel at one’s fingertips the possibilities of the new season. ~Kate Morton
Let me start by saying I have done a fair bit of whining lately because our snow isn’t melting fast enough, and there were no flowers for the start of spring on the 20th. Now this is nothing new here, as we never know how spring will come in.
Sometimes warm and toasty, waking the flowers fast only to freeze them a month later. Other times, a tease of warmth melting the snow, but keeping soil frozen and the flowers at bay. And still other times, all is flooded and a sodden mess.
The secret to a rich life is to have more beginnings than endings. ~Dave Weinbaum
It does no good, so what is the purpose but to plunge me into a dark, gray mood. So enough! Time to face this spring, and celebrate it however it comes to me. After all I said my spring mantra would be celebrating every moment enveloped in spring’s beauty. For now it is snowy, rainy and chilly, but the snow is melting slowly, and for that I am glad. The red-winged blackbirds have returned, and the deer are showing signs of their winter’s coat changing. So I will continue to watch each slow step spring brings to me, and rejoice in it.
All the spring blooms in this post are from year’s past until I can lay me eyes on this year’s garden, as my Irish grandmother would have said.
_________________________________________________________________________
As it is now time to dance at the dawn of the new season, let’s see how folks are celebrating….
We are starting out on the west coast where Chad@Me So Thorny has been having grand weather in California. Chad has been contemplating what spring means to him. And as he says, ‘in a word’ it means faith, hope and love.
“How can you not feel hope when you see a bud about to burst forth? Or when you see new foliage on the rose bush that has been little more than a barbed set of sticks for month? Our faith was tested and found to be true and now we reap the reward of hope. Hope for what is coming soon.”
I am having that same faith again that soon spring will be upon me, and I hope for a lovely garden and flowers to adore. A wonderful inspiring post. Thanks Chad. I needed that.
As we move up the coast to Oregon, [email protected] is celebrating the fact that she has never seen an early spring this wonderful and warm. And she is contemplating the yin and yang of this new season. I love how the Chinese think of spring.
“Spring is a masculine season. In Chinese medicine, spring energy is the energy of the liver—its job to instigate movement and “arouse the mind by allowing tension to build in the body.” Here is a wonderful quote from Dr. Frank Lipman, a respected resource in Chinese medicine: ‘Spring is a time for metamorphosis. Whatever resources have been stored during the darkness of winter are now ready to use as we tap into the primal surging that accompanies this time of new beginnings. Spring is creative, volatile, and powerful and so are we as we enter this phase in our annual cycle.'”
What a great explanation of why I have such energy when spring arrives. I do feel changed and exuberant. And I think it is ten-fold for me as I also have a spring birthday.
As we move into the southern part of the United States, we meet up with Beth@PlantPostings who is taking a respite in Florida, away from the snow in her home state of Wisconsin. Beth is finding a wonderful spring celebration of wildflowers and wildlife at Cedar Point Environmental Park. As Beth describes it:
“The standing trees provide excellent viewing and nesting habitat for Bald Eagles and other birds of prey….The park is thick with butterflies….Many of the plants were familiar–plants that are native in both Florida and Wisconsin, although they bloom much later in the north.”
I definitely can see that this was a special trip and a special spot to take in the spring’s flora and fauna so early in the season.
As we move a bit farther north to Georgia, Karin@Southern
Meadows is celebrating the ‘firsts’ of spring. One that I especially love, Karin described perfectly:
“That first day that feels like Spring. You know the one. The feeling is in the air. The cool morning turns into a glorious sunny day that warms your face. The first day that you peal your layers off when you are working in the garden. The one were the birds are singing as loud as they can way up high in the canopy announcing their arrival. Yes. That one.”
Oh that is the best day of the year for me too, Karin. I am longing for that day, and when it finally appears here, I know I will be celebrating too.
Now we move to the midwest, Illinois to be precise, where Jason@gardeninacity is regaling us with the agony and the ecstasy of spring clean up. As Jason says:
“Ecstasy because, as was the case this past weekend, I am OUTSIDE, enjoying SUNSHINE and MILD TEMPERATURES! It makes me feel like I have just been brought back from a semi-comatose state and have returned again to the Land of the Living. The agony, on the other hand, comes from the intensive use of joints and muscles (mainly those involved in bending and kneeling) that have been taking it easy for the past few months.”
I couldn’t agree more, Jason. And I too can’t wait to be outside again plunging my hands in the soil, snapping off dead stalks and rubbing liniment into my sore muscles. All ecstasy I think!
Also in Illinois, Rose@Prairie Rose’s Garden is ready for spring. As she says,
“But the best part about winter is simply this: it makes me appreciate Spring so much more! I don’t think I could live in a climate without the four seasons. Unless you have suffered through endless days of cold and a garden either muddy brown or buried under snow, I’m not sure you could appreciate a scene like this. As the snow melts, it’s so exciting to find little surprises.”
I love this perspective Rose. Winter does indeed make us appreciate spring, once spring does finally come. It is exciting to to find those treasures under the snow….lots of tiny dots of color to delight us.
It is time to head to the Northeast where winter has been very cold and snowy. And spring is slow to 
show itself. In Pennsylvania, Pam@Pam’s English Cottage Garden is celebrating the arrival of spring.
“To celebrate, I indulged in my first-day-of spring traditions: forcing branches and buying pots of spring flowers. I decided to force some branches first, as there was a snow storm forecast for later that morning….On the way, I was thrilled to find the first snowdrop, peeping through leaf debris in the shade garden. Yes, spring has arrived in my garden!”
What wonderful news Pam that spring has arrived even with the snow and cold there. I eagerly await my first spring bloom.
Further north is Jean@Jean’s Garden, in Maine. Jean is seeing hints of spring’s arrival through the snow and 
cold. The March sun is melting the snow slowly showing bare ground under trees and along foundations. But the best part of spring as Jean says:
“…. there are sweeter signs of spring’s approach. Around my neighborhood, taps have appeared on sugar maple trees. This is Maine Maple Sunday, when farmers open their sugar houses to visitors and ply them with various maple sugar treats.”
What a sweet way to celebrate the coming of spring.
And lastly, a wonderful reader and subscriber of this blog, Debbie, celebrated the start of spring by making this wonderful live pansy wreath. I love this:
“I made this wreath in a class at a local nursery. We had so much fun and it turned out so pretty! Happy Spring!”
Thank you Debbie for sharing this stunning wreath as you celebrate the start of spring.
Well there you have it…bloggers from all over celebrating the new season. I hope you will join me in the summer or winter (depending where you live) for another Seasonal Celebrations. What will the next season hold….lots of surprises….of that I am sure!
______________________________________________________________________________
In A Vase On Monday
Lots of Hippeastrum ‘Red Lion’ still blooming. And as this is all that is blooming now, I am creating another arrangement using these deep red flowers.
I placed this vase near a front window where late afternoon sun streams in to highlight the blooms.
To my surprise, the red-twig dogwood I cut in fall is now leafing out. And the green vase, I chose for this arrangement, is a lovely match to the new green leaves.
I am also using my tried and true Chinese Evergreen or Aglaonema ‘Emerald Beauty’ along with the dried seed pods of Baptisia as a perfect addition to this vase. And it looks great perched on the black cabinet, just under my baby picture.
As it is getting toward the end of the month, and I had an extra bud of ‘Red Lion’ (looks like 5 in all-1 more to go), I thought I would make a second vase with more of the leafing out dogwood, Peace lily or Spathiphyllum leaves, dried grasses, dried boxwood foliage and barberry berries. I am using all the plant material I have now.
It really did make for a festive arrangement and the dogwood brought me some new growth sorely missing from my garden.
I am joining in with a few memes this week as I prepare this vase: Cathy@Rambling in the Garden for her wonderful meme, In a Vase on Monday, Today’s Flowers hosted by Denise@An English Girl Rambles and Judith@Lavender Cottage who hosts Mosaic Monday.
And as a special note….don’t forget that this coming Sunday is Earth Hour. Join in by going dark for an hour, and help be a part of changing climate change. Check out the website to get more details.
______________________________________________________________________________
Next up on the blog:
Next Monday, I will have another wildflower profile.
I am linking in with Michelle for her Nature Notes meme at her new blog just for Nature Notes. It is a great way to see what is happening in nature around the world every Tuesday.
I am also joining in I Heart Macro with Laura@Shine The Divine that happens every Saturday.
All original content is copyrighted and the sole property of Donna Donabella @ Gardens Eye View, 2010-2015. Any reprints or use of content or photos is by permission only.
Oh, I do hope Spring finds you soon Donna!
Well when it does Jessica the garden, critters and I are going to have a big party!
Spring is just around the corner..hang on…it’ll get there. 🙂
And when it gets here I’ll be singing and dancing like I did when i was 5…
Glorious mosaic!
Thanks so much!
Thanks for hosting this, Donna! I think we’re all ready for spring–I hope it arrives for you soon!
Thanks for being part of this meme Rose….spring will finally come once we can convince winter to take a break until next year.
A delightful spring post Donna and I like your Irish grandmother’s way of thinking about the flowers.
I’m trying to be patient too and look forward to the crocuses appearing
Thanks for linking to Mosaic Monday.
I think this has been the most extreme case of exercising patience ever for me as far as my garden goes….glad you enjoyed the post Judith!
Beautiful memories for me because no early spring flowers for us nowadays … Already summer in SW Florida. Your mosaic is the loveliest one ever!
Wow already summer there….I think our spring and summer may be merged which is typical. So glad you really enjoyed the mosaic Sallie.
I’m with Rose from Prairie Rose’s Garden – I could not imagine living somewhere without the four seasons. Until I started gardening 4 years ago I never fully appreciated just how special spring is.
As usual, great post Donna and pictures are fab! Wishing your snow away sooner rather than later.
Thanks Angie…I agree…. I love the 4 seasons. I actually moved back here because I missed the seasons.
Gorgeous shots, lovely colors and composition!
Thanks so much!
Week in, week out, you manage your vase Donna – it reminds me of the UK wartime principle of eking out the rations (not that I remember it personally, I hasten to add!). Your hippeastrum have done you proud 🙂 Love that vase – does it have a lustre effect? I couldn’t quite make out if it had.
I do feel rationed a bit this winter but it has been fun trying to come up with something a bit different. The green vase will take on a lustre in the right light…it is a favorite of mine.
I was convinced we would have flowers for the first Monday in April but now we may not, but I am fast working on something to use. Hippeastrum will be done next week….I am sure some readers will be thankful.
I thought of you when I heard that yet another snowstorm was headed toward the northeast. I’m glad you have a nice collection of Hippeastrum on hand to add color in the house as you await the arrival of spring – it WILL come! Thanks for the reminder about Earth Hour too.
Glad I could remind folks about Earth Hour Kris..yes we keep getting a few inches but the worst is the really bitter cold which is keeping the snow from melting….can’t wait to say hello to the garden this year.
I feel your pain. Here where I live, we can have blooms budding on one side of town but not the other. (I live on the other, lol) What’s worse is even though we have had spring like days for the last 4 days snow and frost can hit us again at anytime. Gardening in Colorado can be a real challenge.
My niece lives in CO now and is trying to garden….it is quite a different world. I know even when our snow melts we are at risk for snow and frost until mid May….gardening is always quite a challenge isn’t it Theresa.
Ah, daffodils and crocuses! Soon, spring comes. It was too cold today to plant seeds, but I heard Thursday would up to 60 degrees.
Wow not that warm here and we need that warmth so plants can bloom and all the snow can melt. Have fun planting seeds.
Hi Donna, Oh I’m so sorry about all of that snow! What a lovely blog to put those winter blues behind you. Your arrangement is just so pretty. I really loved the colours, especially the vase, leaves, and the wall colour! I do hope some nice weather comes your way soon. 🙂 Dana
It has to eventually Dana…now the question is when. So glad you like yet another Hippeastrum vase….I loved that the dogwood was leafing out for spring.
Well I guess we here in the UK are way ahead of you. I have managed two days in the garden; a good tidy up and now enjoying the opening of various Spring flowers with the birds in full song.
Hope you get some better temperatures very soon.
Definitely you are quite a bit ahead of us here Frank ….I can’t wait to get out and begin to garden soon.
You’ll find that spring glow soon Donna I hope. You’ve been very inventive with your vases, giving each one it’s own character. The red-twig dogwood is a nice addition this time.
Thanks Susie….I really loved that it actually leafed out after months in water. I had no idea the dogwood would do this….what a great spring surprise.
You are working wonders with your vases Donna! They do look lovely, and the green vase is quite effective against the green background. Hope you are getting warmer temperatures day by day Donna!
It seems we will get a couple of high 40 days this week then back to the 30s….now if we could get more days in 40s and higher, then the snow would melt…..so maybe next week we will finally see spring come to my garden Cathy.
I am thankful for all the kind comments about the Hippeastrum vases….I have quite enjoyed creating them.
Thank you so much for including me in your Seasonal Celebrations Donna! I really appreciate being part of your beautiful meme and the way your summarize it all. Oh, and I LOVE that green vase!
The pleasure is mine and I so appreciate all who participate….and I do have great fun putting these ‘Revealed’ posts together Susie!
The green vase was one I found at work and no one wanted…I love the color and it just makes the flowers look incredible.
Love the celebrations meme, Donna. Your synopsis is inspiring. Thank you so much for hosting and for including me. Great vase! P.x
Oh Pam I do so enjoy doing these posts and having so many wonderful people participate…I am very grateful for your wonderful posts each season!
Very cheery flower post… I am with you… No spring yet…. Not even a catkin….. Hang in there…. Michelle
It has to come eventually Michelle…right?! Maybe we will have ‘sprummer’…you know the spring/summer season that happens all at once…a week of spring and suddenly its summer.
Your mosaics are so pretty! Love the wreath – you did a great job! I think we are all whining a bit anxious for Spring an warm temps to arrive.
Thanks Glenda but I can’t take credit for the wreath….a wonderful reader Debbie made the wreath.
That’s a wonderful wrap-up, Donna! Your photos of the spring-flowering plants are so colorful and the light is perfectly angled for some exquisite photos. Spring is on its way to you very soon, my friend. 🙂
I do love the spring sunlight…so perfect to make everything golden. I cannot wait to see my garden again. Thanks for joining in and supporting the meme and partnering as always Beth.
I enjoyed reading everyones take on spring in the garden! There is so much to learn from everyone! Like you the snow can not melt fast enough….we were having mild temperatures here in Chicago and then were just blasted today with more snow! Miss seeing my blooms that were starting to say hi! Ah well…..here is to good things to come! Happy gardening Donna! Nicole xo
Oh I saw that snow storm on the news….I think your snow will melt faster than ours though, but we will have a real spring soon! Then we can get to our gardens! Have a happy week Nicole!
what a joy the start of spring is when nature reveals its treasures from the earth. Enjoy the start of spring and have a wonderful week. And thank you for stopping by my blog.
Always a pleasure visiting you Jill. And yes the joys of spring are many that are worth the wait.
Spring must be even more special when it reaches you Donna. I enjoyed reading everyone’s seasonal celebrations. We’ve had that magical day where you peal the layers off when working in the garden as described by Karin. What bliss! I hope that you can celebrate that occasion soon.
I am waiting on those long range forecasts in hopes that by Easter we may see the garden…maybe in later April we will have that glorious spring day.
Beautiful and colorful flowers.
I agree Rajesh…can’t wait to see them again soon once spring fully develops here.
Lovely blooms Donna! No sign of spring here yet either!
I am hoping for April…has to shift sometime…we’ll keep good thoughts for spring to come Karen!
I do hope spring makes its way soon. I know you are anxious. Nothing has even broken through the frozen soil as of yet here. I suspect plants will all bunch up in bloom times again like last year.
That was what I was thinking about too Donna…a glut of blooms and seasons all at once.
Thank you for the reminder about Earth Hour! I did not knowit was Sunday.
Usually March is Colorado’s snowiest month, but we have not had any snow at all. It’s not good as the snow pack in the mountains feeds the rivers and reservoirs for many western states. So even though I have been enjoying the nice weather, I would not mind it we got a few more snowfalls. We need the moisture!
All the flowering bulb photos abd spring quotes int heis post were beautiful. I am looking forward to seeing the same here soon!
That is not good Pat as you definitely need the snow. I never get upset with all the snow as the garden needs it. The one year we did not have much snow we had a drought….but oh the unusual cold for so long is tiring and hard to deal with. I am hopeful we will get rid of the snow finally and see some flowers…hoping that for you too!
I loved Jason’s comment about sore muscles and knees! Hope you are soon seeing the first crocuses pushing up and are able to start conditioning those muscles for a new year of gardening.
I am anxious to get started Janet and I even think I would love to have my muscles be sore and tired again….it seems maybe in a couple of weeks as we are having a very slow melt here.
Your vases with Hippeastrums are stunning, Donna. Love them very much too.
You did a review of coming spring on gardeners’ posts, thanks for sharing these nice vernal photos. Sure we both will soon be able to show ours!
Thanks so much Nadezda….I have enjoyed making the vases and know our gardens will thaw out soon.
Doing the happy gardener’s dance for you Donna, that the snow is starting to recede!! Well as much as someone who isn’t allowed to twist or bend can dance.
Beautiful photos today…spring is certainly on it’s way.
Jen
I can’t wait to see those blooms again Jen. I am hoping to have my garden thawed by April 1….the forecasts are all over the place but today and tomorrow we are getting high 40s with rain before it turns cold again…then maybe next week again 40s. Thanks for the good thoughts!
What glorious spring photos from all that are celebrating the season! It’s nice to see what’s growing in other parts of the country.
And I just loved your green vase arrangement and especially the photo of the vase under your baby picture. That was beautiful! Thanks for sharing and hosting the seasonal celebrations.
Glad you enjoyed the post Sue…
I, like you, can’t wait for Spring. We in IL were hit with 5″ on Sunday. It’s starting to melt, but the swing of some good days with more bad days is wearing on me. So I hope we both have good weather soon. Thanks for stopping by, and it’s nice to know you enjoy sowing some seeds too!
It is wearing Cathy those couple of good days thrown in with too many nasty cold days…we need a shift…I enjoy stopping by and will keep sowing seeds until I can get out in the garden.
You are right to try and keep a positive attitude. Great roundup!
Glad you enjoyed the round up and thanks for participating again….always a pleasure.
I hope spring arrives quickly for you. I have a feeling those of us enjoying early spring will be sweltering in unusually hot summers as well. I’m glad you got to do some great flower arrangements to make up for it as well, I love the red flowers with the dried plants and barberries.
Thanks so much Hannah….I have enjoyed the flower arranging….I will be shocked if we have any sweltering heat this year. Although we have been know to go from winter to summer in a short period of time barely brushing by spring.
This is such a wonderful celebration Donna – I enjoyed learning how bloggers are celebrating Spring. I don’t think I’m quite there yet. I celebrated Spring in Florida but now I get to celebrate it again! I think Rose is right – you need Winter to celebrate Spring here. Spring truly is glorious here in the Northern climes. Though I was surprised to feel the shift of the seasons in Florida – there is still that first warm, sunny day and then you notice the Redbuds and Dogwoods and the birds and you’re uplifted and giddy. So there are still seasons, but they certainly are not as pronounced as OUR Spring. I’m ready to celebrate! Your dogwood may have rooted in your vase? I know mine tend to root pretty easily in the garden if a branch touches the ground. How fun!
Oh Kathy it must have been wonderful feeling spring in FL though hard to come back to cold and snow still lingering. Yes the dogwood did root in the vase, and I should have guessed it would, as you are so right they root easily in the garden.
Most of my landscape is snow and ice, but over the last couple of days it has retreated at the edges. This morning I saw that the blanket of snow is leaving daylily bank and there are Green Shoots! Spring really will come!
Oh Pat that is good to hear you are seeing the snow melt. We are seeing a bit of retreat on some edges but not as much as I would have liked and especially by now. The temps need to stay in the 40s or 50s and we just keep getting cold after a couple of days. I believe this will be the latest I have ever seen the snow melt fully in my garden. And I will just keeping pushing my veg gardening start ahead….those of us waiting are all going to be in a frenzy working to get everything done once we are able to work in the garden.
This is surely the right approach, Donna, and I like people who think positive. Spring will arrive before you know it and your cheerful pictures certainly get us into the right mood!
I keep trying to stay positive and I appreciate your good thoughts Annette!
Goodness Donna, you have every right to whine. I’m sure you’re so tired of the cold and snow–have a stout heart, spring is on her way. I love the Seasonal Celebrations and seeing what gardeners from all over are experiencing!
Thanks Tina! Maybe you would like to join in to the Celebration for summer that will start in June!
You’ve had a hard winter and I love your seasonal celebration. Great idea to beat the doldrums.
Thanks Carver….I love celebrating the seasons.
I think when this time of year gets here, it becomes more difficult to deal with cold temps and snow. It is 36 degrees right now, and I am so ready for the temps to warm up to stay.
I am thankful that it’s the time of year when I walk the yard daily, looking to see what’s coming up, and what has grown.
Thanks for stopping by my blog.
I agree Sue…as gardeners we do get anxious to get going with the garden. 20 here today, but I wouldn’t mind it if I could see my garden…95% still covered by snow.
All I can say is wow, what a thoughtful and entertaining post! I can only imagine how much work went into it and thanks 🙂 I really enjoyed it.
Beautiful pictures as usual and I love the mix of winter’s dried bits, autumn’s last berries, and spring’s first blooms of hope in your arrangement. Smart!
I hope spring starts edging its way out there this next week. We had mostly rain and sleet in the last storm and I was watching it come down thinking how strange rain seemed compared to all the snow and ice I’ve become so used to!
Thanks Frank….you really summed up the arrangement perfectly. We are still 95% still snow covered where I live and temps have been 10-20 degrees below normal. Today the high will be 25 when it should be about 50. If we can get consistent 405-50 degree temps then we will finally see spring. I figure we are about 2 weeks behind as the weather we have now is typical for early March weather. Here’s to seeing spring soon.
What a lot of lovely flowers in this post! Spring is slow here too this year, but flowers are starting to bloom and birds are singing their wonderful songs,
Nice when the flowers start and the birds sing…
Donna, I do hope it won’t be long before you get to lay eyes on your own garden and sink your hand into its soil! Thanks for the round-up of seasonal celebrations. I am celebrating by taking lingering walks in my garden and listening to the exuberant songs of wildlife. Today my roses have pristine, fungus-free foliage, redbuds are blooming and dogwood buds are opening, and many other plants with lime green, baby pink, and maroon red leaves are wakening to spring. My garden wants to party, and soon it will be your turn!
Thanks Deb…I can’t wait to see pictures of your spring garden…soon my garden will wake up even if it is weeks behind.
Snow isn’t melting fast enough here, either, but I can see some ground, although no growth.
It seems we may see a bit more ground by Easter but is supposed to be a cold Easter. At least it is sunny more than rainy right now as we thaw. Hoping spring comes quickly for you Amy!
I am fascinated how important spring is to you when it is such a big contrast to the snowy winter. It must feel very special and exciting. I do love spring, but there is nothing like the extreme contrast that you guys experience.
That is putting it mildly Sue… 🙂
Yes when our extreme cold snowy winter breaks to spring, it is so important to nature and me as we all thaw and grow. It is a short growing season here so each day is vital to me. Once we finally do get spring to come, it will be fast.
Oh I am looking forward to spring, too! I did notice the blackbirds trilliing this week…a sure sign! And the big snow we had a couple of weeks ago, is nearly gone!
Sounds like spring is fighting her way in finally and beating back winter…. 🙂