Flowers!

Yesterday (021811) brought the first of the crocus....this variety, Cream Beauty, is always out early. It's such a welcome sight, though.

I have them planted on four corners on a bed with each corner slightly sloping down. What happens is that they apparently drift down, either on their own or due to movement(s) in the soil caused by planting, pulling weeds or...animals...Ha. A lesson I never learn is that the four corners refuse to bloom at the same time. These are blooming on the more southerly perspective.

It also never fails that when the early spring bulbs start blooming that I always...always...wish I had planted more. It's just that in fall when you need to plant them, I'm getting weary and ready for the garden to go to sleep. I did, however, plant more of the general mixed variety crocus, so I'm excited to see and hopeful of a good showing from them.

Even though I know there's still more winter ahead (sigh), it's great to enjoy these moments when we think spring is finally on its way...

The crocus aren't the first flowers for 2011, that honor belongs to the snowdrops...with more coming along....

The very tiny and common nivalis are increasing for me and I'm pleased to see a bit of a drift, something I've waited years for...


Interesting to look at this same group from a different perspective....


Also very tiny, but hopefully this one will get larger as it settles in (only the second year here)...

Scharlockii


As you can see, this one is called Don's Big Seedling (still waiting on that 'big')...


Here's Straffan...odd how one got away from the group...however, the other two varieties planted nearby are just barely out of the ground...


If you're wondering, that scruffy looking stuff is a creeping phlox...

S. Arnott is supposed to be large, too...but isn't here...yet...wish I had planted them all together...they'd make a better showing that way...


Just for perspective, here's Limetree (which I've shown before)...it's one of the larger ones for me...but I don't think we'd call it large by any stretch of the imagination....(and notice how nicely I have now mulched here...lol)...


Finally, my girl Riley was out enjoying the warm weather, too. She's doesn't really like having her picture taken and averts her head when she sees the camera.