It's a Miracle!

April 10th, 2011
Finally.  The snow is gone enough where I can catch a glimpse of green in my garden.  Through the brown, that is.  The Gardener didn’t quite get to her own garden for cleanup last fall.  Lots of debris out there.  But fun none-the-less to watch as the perennials emerge from the soil. 

Virginia Bluebells

My 6 year old daughter, Zilla, and I have been keeping tabs on everybody popping up.  We started barely a week ago.  The day lilies (Hemerocallis),  the Sedum, and the Daffodils (Narcissus) were some of the first to show their little heads.  I love the rosettes of the creeping sedum (Sedum ternatum) and the accordion like leaves on the strawberries (Fragaria vesca) before they spread out their fluffiness.  The purple tops of my Virginia Bluebells, Mertensia virginica are peeking out, wondering if it’s warm enough (yes, it is!) to spike their lovely stems and start showing off their dangling periwinkle bells.

We walk around saying hello to everyone and welcoming them back.  We’ve wandered around the beds every few days to see who else is brave enough to stick their necks out.  I find such pleasure in greeting everyone as they burst through the mulch.  I love that my daughter is picking up on that enthusiasm and carrying it for her own.  She points things out faster than I do, chastising me for not cleaning up in the fall, stating, “The poor Scilla, (Scilla siberica) has to work extra hard to get through all that stuff, Mom!” (Yes, she knows the name Scilla - it rhymes with Zilla! - but not the latin name :) )

Today she noticed the Hyacinths (Hyacinthus orientalis) are up about 4 inches, the Daffodils have their flower heads nodding against their stems, and the Spiderwort (Tradescantia) and Agapanthus are about 6” taller than even 5 days ago.  “Spring is a miracle, I tell you!” She exclaims.  Yes, a miracle indeed.  The continuing cycle of life and death.  A miracle to behold, right here in my own front yard.

Oh, The Possibilities!

2.18.2011
"MMMMM!! Smell That?" I say to my husband.  The scent hit me immediately as I walked through the exhibit hall double doors.  Halfway up the ramp, I heard it, too.  Spring was hitting all my senses.  The St. Paul Home and Garden show was in full swing and I could feel spring.  From the smell of the lilies, hyacinth, and mulch, to the sound of the water running in make-shift ponds and their feeder waterfalls, I was immersed in spring.

My mood and step lightened as I looked around at the primrose, the lilies, the hyacinth, and all the other forced bulbs.  It was 20 degrees and windy outside.  The sun was hiding behind some clouds, but inside was warm, smelled good, and was full of bright colors.

I love feeling the hope, the inevitable changing of the seasons, the comfort that the world keeps turning, and I with it, that comes with witnessing the beginning of a new season.

We at Home Sown Gardens often encourage those who struggle with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) or those who just plain have trouble getting through long Minnesota winters, to plant spring flowering bulbs or early spring blooming perennials.  Just the thought of them popping through the ground gives one hope.  The mere thought gives one something to look forward to, something that keeps them going and makes them think of life, color, waking up after a period of hibernation or dormancy.  Then there’s the actual emergence, and the thoughts that we can all begin anew.  It’s a fresh start, a chance to bloom our best.

Smelling spring and thinking about the spring bulbs gets me dreaming about my garden.  What am I going to move this year?  The Obedients really need a bigger place to roam.  What new plants am I going to try?  I’ve been eyeing a Hydrangea Paniculata for some time now.  I really wanted to get some new mulch added to my East bed and the rocks in my North bed replaced with mulch.  The flag Iris is looking kind of tired, I wonder if it would like its feet in a wetter spot?

I can hear my husband saying something to me, but I’m too immersed in my summer garden plans to pay any attention.  “Tami!” he prods, “What are you thinking about?”

“Oh, the possibilities…” I murmur back.