Finally, Spring Colors Arrive

Yesterday, as the sun came round the house around noon, I finally felt that Spring may actually be happening--at last!

The tete-a-tete daffodils looked lovely and the pansies had recovered from the frost the previous day. The cedar had regained its color.  The colors show even with the sharp shadows of the house just receding with the afternoon position of the late April sun.

The little tete-a-tete daffies are very lush this year.

They seem to be naturalizing like the larger daffodils in the rear garden.

My tulip project is going well. I planted 'Apeldorn' red tulips at my house and Sara's. They were supposed to bloom mid-Spring. Hers have already bloomed but my garden is always a week behind hers across the river.  I wanted them to bloom for the 25th anniversary of my Mother's death. Red tulips were my Mother's favorite flower and I used to have some red tulips that bloomed on April 30th, but the voles have eaten the bulbs.

I couldn't believe my luck that the bulbs I planted in the Fall emerged this year after the winter we've had and the hungry animals that call our community home.  A bobcat came up to sliding glass door last week!  Not that they eat tulips like the rabbits, but it does indicate how wild our environment has become again now that the development has matured.

Then, I had to save the blooms from those rabbits.  I used an old locker cage until they grew too tall. Being close to daffodils saves them somewhat as the rabbits and deer leave those alone.

And then I covered them with black netting until the buds grew 

through--almost-- and were caught in the net openings.

Set free yesterday, they bloomed today!  Success!

For you, Mom.  Thinking of you and loving you still.

Anna Pauline "Bobbie" Dayhuff

1928-1990