“We don’t develop courage by being happy every day. We develop it by surviving difficult times and challenging adversity.”

~Barbara de Angelis

 

 

 

Seeing snow in April is really no big deal for me, my garden or the critters who live here.  We know winter does not go quietly.  He enjoys popping in for a short visit every now and then until about mid May.  So we plan for it, and accept it.

But waking Monday morning, to see more snow falling in frigid temps in the 20s (night-time temps in the teens), just sent me into a tailspin.  We are not supposed to get more snow on top of 6 inches that had already fallen the day before.  It is supposed to melt within a day, and temps do not stay in the teens and 20s…..not for days on end.  After all it is April.

 

I thought I would start by showing you the many flowers blooming happily in late March and April, along with a few visiting pollinators…..

 

Iris reticulata ‘Katharine Hodgkin’ (and another I. reticulata shown in the picture at the top of the post)

 

 

Crocus vernus…a very hardy flower, also know as Dutch Crocus

 

 

Crocus minimus or Snow Crocus

 

 

Puschkinia scilloides or Striped Squill….they smell like grape juice…yummy!

 

 

Scilla siberica or Siberian Squill with my favorite blue

 

 

Chionodoxa luciliae or Glory of the Snow

 

 

Hellebores

 

 

And daffodils….the large Yellow Trumpet were out first.

 

 

Then this is what we saw just 3 days into April….

 

 

 

and this a day later….tall daffs buried.

 

 

 

And 4 days after it started, a melt began that took another day.  

So how did my flowers do with winter’s unexpected prolonged visit?

 

 

They seemed to come through it virtually unscathed.  And I’d say my flowers deserve an award for dealing so well with such harsh conditions.

 

 

 

They are survivors.  They wilted, and bowed their heads, but they held on.  I love my early bulbs!  Four days buried under snow certainly helped to insulate them, which is what I hoped would happen.

 

 

And it wasn’t just the flowers that were of concern….I noticed our visiting birds were not used to this harsh weather either.

 

Especially the American Robins…..they struggled but survived in some unique ways that you can read about here on my other blog.

We haven’t heard the spring peepers in a week, and the pollinators are hopefully under cover somewhere.  As bursts of snow kept going through the weekend, it did not last on the ground or cover the flowers, but it was cold.

I know Winter felt his time with us was too short.  So he made quite a comeback.  I am hoping Spring gives him a shove out the door….after all my veggies need to be planted, and the birds need to start building their nests….and the frogs are ready to wake and return to the pond.

 

 

So come on Spring…..let’s get this party started!

 

How has your spring been treating you and your garden?

 

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A perfect way to start off spring is to read RURAL’s spring issue.  I am honored to be contributing again to this amazing online magazine, the creation of Jen@The Light Laughed.  I hope you will drop by and read all the amazing articles….and best of all it is free.

 

 

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In A Vase On Monday 

 

 

When I went out to pick a vase this weekend, I decided to stick with those flowers that looked the least bedraggled after their snow cover.

 

So I picked several of my wonderful pink hellebores.  You saw some of them last week in a vase.  And I wanted to include Puschkinia scilloides as there were so many of them bouncing back.  I decided to create an arrangement using this dish, which is part of my mother-in-law’s china, aptly named, Cosmos.

 

 

 

I floated the hellebores in the china dish, and placed a small glass in the middle to hold the Puschkinia.  I really love the effect, and how the flowers match the color of the flowers decorating the bowl.  I did not add anything else to the display as it perfect enough by itself decorating the kitchen table.

 

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 2016 and Judith@Lavender Cottage who hosts Mosaic Monday.

 

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Next up on the blog:  

Monday, I will have either an update on the veg garden, or a profile of another native plant.  It will all depend on the weather this week.  Hoping for a warm up, so I can start planting my early veg seeds in the garden.

I am linking in with Michelle for her Nature Notes meme at her blog, Rambling Woods.  It is a great way to see what is happening in nature around the world every Monday. 

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