Spring is creeping in!

Snow again…but not much!

Yes, I know. It’s still officially winter, but the positive bubbles within me are beginning to rise. Yes, we have snow again, but it’s just a tiny skiff and the sky is blue, the days are getting longer and when there IS sunshine it is stronger. But, if you need to be convinced here is some further evidence!

Giant white alliums pushing through!

During a walkabout, these “White Giant” alliums were spotted in the Front Island. I don’t recall them being among the first early risers before, but there they were!

Crocus emerging, too!

Not surprised to see these little crocus emerging in the Front Garden, because they definitely are among the first of the early risers in spring. I was a bit surprised to see that last year, according to my journal, they were at this stage on January 24th, so this year they are already a month later!

Not plant related, but the solar lights along the Front Garden have been frost heaved and wind blown over. I would have straightened them up, but they are frozen in place, and the ground is too frozen to push them in even if I could have released them. Looking at all the brown mulch, it’s a little hard to believe it will be a carpet of color in just a few weeks, but it will happen…it WILL happen! Faith, cricket!

“Angelina” sedum

Around the house to the Deck Garden, the golden foliage of “Angelina” sedum captures the eye. This is such a durable plant, and so pretty year-round even here in our Zone 5b Indiana winters. I love it as a ground cover, but it is even more valuable as a trailer in sunny window boxes, where dry conditions often make other plants suffer. This patch is getting too large and crowding its tiny mini iris neighbors, so I’ll be digging some of it for containers and the garden club plant sale. But, we are here searching for signs of spring…

Looking a little thick…I should mark this patch for dividing after bloom.

Daffodil tips are peeking through the leaves that have gathered at the inner corner of the Deck Garden. No idea what variety they are, but I’ll try to remember to identify them and put a marker in that clump for dividing after they bloom. If daffodils get too thick, they begin to flower less and less. When I take some out, I’ll fill the empty space with compost and that should give the ones remaining a boost. There are thousands of daffodils and tulips in this sloped garden, and I can hardly wait!

So cute already!

Also in the Deck Garden near the sidewalk, the adorable little “Tete a Tete” daffys are pushing through. I moved this clump from the Fairy Garden for last year, just to have some earlier color in an area that I pass daily and they were the very first daffys to bloom, on March 20th. Eager to see when they bloom this spring. And finally…….

The first outdoor blooms of 2022!!!

Hurrah! The very first flowers to bloom outdoors in 2022 are these tiny, tiny (only 2″ tall!) snowdrops. They bloomed for the first time last year, and I was hoping their short stature was because they were first time bloomers. Alas, they are still just as short, but I’m so thrilled to see them I hardly care. Last year they flowered on March 6, so they are much earlier and I can see several tips of more nearby. Hurrah! The 2022 Bloom Journal has its first entry!

So that’s six plants showing that spring is indeed on the way, which qualifies for a “Six on Saturday” post. If you’d like to see what other gardeners across the globe are finding in their gardens, visit The Propagator, who hosts this meme.

Winter may still have a grip, and more surprises to come, but I take heart that the flowers are still there and ready to strut their stuff anytime we get a bit of warmth between the freezes. Spring IS creeping in, leaving small hints of the glory to come! Have you been out searching for signs of spring? I hope you find some, because it really raises the spirit and sparks energy. Happy Saturday!

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