Sunday, March 30, 2008

Finally ! ! Maybe Spring !

Well, there is finally a little evidence that Spring is nearly here. We still have some solitary patches of snow, but that should be gone in a few days. I walked around the gardens and found a few brave souls that had been buried by the recent snowstorm. It's amazing how resilient these early spring flowers are.


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Miniature daffodils ready to "pop".





Sturdy bleeding-hearts.





Snow-drops




While taking this picture of crocus, I never noticed what one of the bunnies had left nearby!

Ha, ha. Coming up are some other pretty crocus:














Below is a miniature iris - they are only about 6" tall!







And here is the Main Garden. What a mess!! I didn't do any Fall cleanup so this is what I've got ahead of me. There are all sorts of bulbs trying to grow up through that dead stuff so I'll be taking some days off later in the week and get my rear in gear.


Steve started some yard clean up and projects this weekend. He cut down a small dead tree and did a lot of trimming of various trees on the north end of our property. He loves working with his chain saw and extension saw. And he also raked some of the gardens along the house for me. He said it's so nice to finally get outside and be able to work. I had all kinds of errands to run and attend a party at my sister's house and then plant some more seeds in the basement.


I had ordered two brand new petunia types from Burpee this year. Normally, I don't order too much from them 'cause I feel their prices don't match the quantities. But, I just had to have "Baby Duck" and "Tie Dyed" - and planned to plant them in the new window box planters I've gotten from Kinsman. Most of the time I don't have a specific place in mind for plants when I sow them but "Baby Duck" was going to be what I saw out of my bedroom window this summer!


Some petunia seeds are quite small and companies will "pellet" them - coat them with a light colored water soluble substance to make them easier to handle. When I opened "Baby Duck" all I found was powder. They had been crushed in shipping and the same with "Tie Dyed". Boy was I pissed!! I had paid $5 for each package of 15 seeds. Rip off!! To make a long story short, Burpee sent me replacements and that's why I'm planting them late. They'll be a little smaller than the rest, but they'll catch up quickly. I can't wait to post pictures of my new planters filled with petunias!


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Weight loss update ! ! Now I've lost a total of 23 pounds! Only 17 more until I reach my goal.


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Some sad news. A few weeks ago "my" elephant, Delhi, died at the Sanctuary. She was very old, in her 60s, and died peacefully with her caregivers and sister elephants surrounding her. She was in hospice since January and with all the great care she got, suffered no pain.


Here she is, looking good and loving her last years at the Sanctuary. When writing about her, the people at the Sanctuary said she had "a gramma spirit" and was always gentle with her sisters. I'll miss hearing about her and seeing what she has been up to. ( Today I received an e-mail from the Sanctuary saying "Queenie" another elephant, had died suddenly, yesterday! Quite a shock! No illness or symptoms - what a sad month this has been.) But I'm happy that they both got to live out the rest of their lives in freedom, peace and dignity.
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All animals, except man, know that the
principal business of life is to enjoy it - and
they do enjoy it as much as man and other
circumstances will allow.
Samuel Butler (1835 - 1902)
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Bye for now,
Alyssa

9 comments:

Gina said...

Alyssa - the spring bulbs are looking great! what is your weight loss secret?

beckie said...

Alyss, I have seen 'Baby Ducks' and think they are gorgeous. Good luck with them. I know what you are facing in the gardens. We didn't get much fall work done either. So sad to hear about your elephant, but what a wonderful cause. Good for you!!

Tom said...

What a fantastic post Alyssa I was very moved by your loss.
Tom

Alyssa said...

Hi Gina - The first bulbs are perking me up a lot. Unfortunately, the only thing to do to lose weight (especially after menopause) is eat very much less and exercise very much more! Ugh!!

Beckie - I'm anxious to see "Baby Ducks" in person, they look so sweet. Thank you for your kind words - Delhi was very special to me.

Tom - I'm glad you enjoyed the post. I think lots of people (and elephants) will miss Delhi.

DeeMom said...

Steve and my Sweetie and a Chain saw, varooooom varrrrroooom
Always so much to do no matter the time of year…
My hubby is going to use my cuttings from my ornamental grasses for the chicken coop; he thinks the bedding will be good.

Your flower pictures are WONDERFUL…
I daily look around here to see what NEW is popping up; today I saw the forsythia starting to bud out…

Congratulations on being LESS of your former self keep the good work up!

Sorry to hear about Delhi as well as "Queenie”

Pam said...

I wish I could fold my arms and blink my eyes and show up in your yard. We are still under gobs of snow and, except for today, it's still cold.

Thanks for stopping by my blog and cheering me on, I have missed hanging out with you.

kate smudges said...

Spring is definitely there! Bulbs are in bloom and your garden's showing. I am looking forward to seeing the miniature daffodils in bloom.

You have done an amazing job at weight loss. Your exercise routine is working for you. Way to go!! You're well on you way. Unfortunately, we pack on the pounds at this stage in our lives if we aren't careful.

Good thing gardening season is rolling around!

alicesg said...

Spring is lovely. The colours are back. I have a quiz in my post today, maybe you would like to view. :)

Alyssa said...

Dee - I think the sound of chainsaws is a sure sign of spring! Using the ornamental grass cutting for the chicken coop is a good idea. We just compost ours.

Pam - I'm happy to see you back blogging. Don't worry, before you know it, spring will be in your backyard!

Kate - The mini daffs should be open tomorrow. What an exciting time of year! Thanks for the congrats..

Alice - Yes, this is a great time of year. I'll stop by your blog to take the quiz.