Sunday, March 13, 2016

Spring Indeed

DEBORAH CROMBIE:  Today it is Spring by the clock if not by the official date, but here in north Texas it is Spring regardless of the calendar! There are no more freezes in the forecast. The cardinals are singing and the hummingbirds will arrive any time.  Here are a few glimpses from my garden.
 

That's the huge oakleaf hydrandea just inside our gate. I love it when it begins to leaf.

The bridal wreath along the back fence.

The native coral honeysuckle, which hopefully will grow up our pergola this summer, and will attract lots of hummers!

Carolina jessamine on the north fence.

And my favorite thing--the tiny, velvet buds of the little Japanese maple we planted last spring.

If all this doesn't get you in the mood, here's a little help from Gerard Manley Hopkins.

SPRING


Nothing is so beautiful as Spring –         
   When weeds, in wheels, shoot long and lovely and lush;         
   Thrush’s eggs look little low heavens, and thrush         
Through the echoing timber does so rinse and wring         
The ear, it strikes like lightnings to hear him sing;
   The glassy peartree leaves and blooms, they brush         
   The descending blue; that blue is all in a rush         
With richness; the racing lambs too have fair their fling.         

What is all this juice and all this joy?         
   A strain of the earth’s sweet being in the beginning
In Eden garden. – Have, get, before it cloy,         
   Before it cloud, Christ, lord, and sour with sinning,         
Innocent mind and Mayday in girl and boy,         
   Most, O maid’s child, thy choice and worthy the winning.

REDS and readers, what's blooming for you?

14 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. What a lovely garden you have.
    My daffodils are blooming, the forsythia is thinking about blossoming. The lilacs are thinking about blooming and there are buds on both the pussy willow and Japanese maple . . . I love spring!

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  3. Debs, thanks for sharing picture of your beautiful blooms. Please post a picture when your yard is in full bloom, as I recall from earlier pictures that it is a wonderful blend of gorgeous flowering plants.

    I am lousy at the names of plants and trees, but my big tree out front is full of buds, and I can't wait to see the leaves start spurting out.

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  4. It's weirdly springy here in New England. The crocuses have never been up this early. Your garden is beautiful, Deb! I noticed even a few weeks ago our birdbath was standing room only -- a sure sign of spring.

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  5. Lovely flowers! Crocuses blooming, the daffodils sending up strong green shoots, buds forming on the rhododendrons and lilacs. Bluebird pairs flitting from tree to yard and back again. Birdsong fills the air and is endlessly fascinating to my nephew's kitten..... spring is coming here!

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  6. Beautiful garden blooms, Deb!

    There are a lot of daffodils in bloom here, but not yet in my yard. Just this morning the pinkish lavender hyacinths popped open, to join the snowdrops, winter aconite and scilla, at least the ones the deer haven't et.

    Our neighbor's tulip magnolia opened yesterday, just like magic. One day nothing, and the next day it was in full glory.

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  7. oh, Debs - lovely!! The Japanese Maple buds are heartbreaking they're so sweet.

    Nothing blooming here in these mountains yet - I cannot wait!!

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  8. Kaye, when do the dogwoods start blooming in the mountains?

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  9. I'm disappointed that no one seemed to love the Gerard Manley Hopkins. I though it was gorgeous.

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  10. I loved the Gerard Manley Hopkins, and thought it was nice to see something of his besides "The Windhover." As for spring blooms, there are clusters of tiny green flowers all through my holly hedge, and lots of ideas about the kind of flowers I want to plant in my now-naked garden.

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  11. In Portland, Oregon it's Spring-like: the Forsythia are almost done, the daffodils have been up for weeks, the Cherries are in full bloom, the Crocuses are about finished, the Roses are covered with new red foliage, the flowering Currant are covered with blossoms, the Viburnum have blossoms about to open and foliage out, the Bleeding Heart had blooms, the Rhododendrons are covered with swelling buds, the Maples are starting to leaf out, as are the Lilacs and hardy Fuchsias. Yet it's raining, raining, raining and very windy, every things soggy.

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  12. Thanks for the Hopkins poem! He is one of my favorite poets. When I was in college I did a paper on him. You have inspired me to go searching for his poems again!

    My neighbor's crocuses are out, and his daffodils look as though they are ready to burst into bloom. I look forward to his tulips and clematis. Having a neighbor with a green thumb means I get to enjoy lovely flowers without any of the work involved!

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  13. SO wonderful! We only have crocuses so far…but your garden is fabulous!

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  14. Hopkins is exquisite; he leaves me breathless with his brevity. You can quote "Margaret, are you grieving/over Goldengrove unleaving..."for the autumnal equinox.

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