Spring Gardens - New Life

Every year when the spring comes, it is greatly welcomed at our house! I am a lover of all things having to do with nature, but flowers are very high on the list. Add to that the budding of the trees and the bulbs and rhizomes doing their thing, and you know it is time for spring to arrive.

Another sign usually, is that I see a lot of baby bunnies here and there, as well as ducklings following their mothers around. It is just too sweet. It is a time for the birds to be busy feeding their little babies, and the earth is just right for digging for worms it seems. Spring has arrived!

I live in the Midwest in the United States. I haven't always lived here, but thoroughly enjoy much that it offers, like the spring after winter! There are definite signs that spring has "sprung" around here. Here are just a few of my favorite signs of spring that let me know for sure it is on its way.

I see the yellow forsythia blooms first, almost every year. They are the faithful, among flowering shrubs and never disappoint! There are a few along the back yard area, and the bright yellow blooms are always very bright against what seems to be a lingering drab winter colors everywhere. When the grass is not yet green, and there are no leaves on the trees, you can count on the forsythia blooms! I hope to never be without this shrub near where I live.

The hyacinths are next, and very faithful, with the daffodils being quick to follow them. These are all lovely flowers! The tulips come along as well, and you also see the dogwood blooms beginning to do their thing. It is a true joy to watch this all play out.

As for potted plants for front and back porches, people often opt for pansies or violas or both. These are tough little flowers that do a lot of good, and can stand a layer of ice should the weather change its mind! They will be beautiful beneath the ice, and be ok. They are also good for early butterflies, that need them when there is not much else. So they are "win win" flowers.

While I am waiting for spring to come, there are always a few things I like to think about. I think about what I will want to do first out in the garden, as time allows. It is a good time to think about the big and little jobs that will require some attention on my part.

If there are any more seeds or plants to order from catalogues, it is a good time for that. In fact, that is what a lot of gardeners do during the "off" season. It is the perfect time to plan for the perfect garden as the weather allows.

If I don't plan ahead, it seems no time before the weather gets almost too hot to spend a lot of time in the garden, so its about maximizing time. With my work schedule, I have less time than ever as well, to do my gardening chores. It is a great time to consider my perennial plants that come back year after year with little effort. If they are planted in a good spot, they will serve you well and be happy to bloom where they are planted.

Once spring comes around, it is great to spend some time cleaning up and planting new seeds, etc. As soon as the last frost date has come and gone, you can know that you can plant seeds without fear of the seedlings getting frozen. So my pots get some attention, with some new soil or turning over the soil and working some new soil in, etc.

Most of the time, my seeds that I plant are either herbs, or more often seeds for flowers that attract butterflies. These are my most favorite of all flowers to plant. Anyone that knows me knows that I absolutely love my butterflies. So planting nectar rich flowers, but also host plants is a favorite as well. You want butterflies to come at all stages of their life and spend time in your garden. Monarchs like butterfly weed, for instance. I will be planting some of those this year, new ones.

Thank you for taking time to take a stroll with me through a spring garden, or partial spring garden. It would be hard to put all that I love and see in the spring into one article here. Still, you can get an idea. I hope you saw the picture with the little bunny up above, he thought he was being clever and hiding well. Often, I refer to them as the naughty bunnies, because they love to eat my flower buds that are about to bloom, that I have worked so hard for! They are so cute in the garden though, so Its hard to not let them stay, and how could I anyway?

I have come up with some different ideas, like planting certain things closer to the house, etc. They won't come to close, especially with a barking dog! Anyway, wishing you the best thing spring or whatever the season is that you are reading this.