Spring, Finally

She sure took her sweet time getting here, but I think it's safe to say Spring is here to stay. I mean, I loved the cold and snow (for a time), but once you have a couple warm days, it's really hard to go back. Who's with me on loving the sunshine and higher temperatures? But then, if you live in Ohio, you have to be ready for a sudden cold day out of the blue. That's how we roll here.

There's so much to love about the Spring! I used to say that Fall was my favorite time of year, but this year.... I'm beginning to change my mind.

This is our first Spring in our new home and it has been a delight to discover what we may find popping up in our gardens. We have daffodils and hyacinths blooming in yellows, whites, pinks and purples. Our trees -- I don't even know what they are -- have white and pink buds all over them, and the bright yellow forsythia is such a wonderful pop of color. What is amazing to me is how fast everything grows and blossoms. With one rainfall, the lawn is lush and tall and small shoots have spawned into tall flowers. God's creations are simply amazing.

With the warmer weather, we are finally coming out of hibernation, playing in the warm sun and tending to the yard and gardens. We've finally introduced Sam to neighbors, almost 5 months later! I love seeing people out in the neighborhood walking, biking, tending to their lawns and casually talking between houses. Many evenings we take a family walk. Yes, it seems we're all glad to be out (until the blasted heat comes and we all stay indoors, but we'll enjoy these glorious temperatures while we have them).

I will be the first to admit that I am not a gardener. However, I love the idea of gardening. I actually think I could be fairly decent at gardening with a little practice and research (I google everything). This year will be the ultimate test. So far I have already transplanted daffodil bulbs from an area we're clearing out (p.s. did you know deer eat daffodil leaves? Grrr.) and I have converted our laundry room into a mini greenhouse, with seedlings of forget-me-nots, cosmos, marigolds and various vegetables and herbs. I feel like a first grader excitedly checking the growth progress each day (amazing how fast those grow, too!).

The forget-me-nots and cosmos were from seed packs. I don't know where they came from but I've had them around the house for months now. I'm not even sure where I'm going to plant them yet. Cosmos love full sun and we don't have many places for full sun. Maybe I'll share some with others to brighten up their yards. (Anyone? Anyone?) Forget-me-nots, though, can handle shade and I look forward to planting them along the back of the house. Since my Aunt Barbara is a major reason we have this house, I want them blooming in my garden as a reminder and thanks to her.

The marigolds were from Adam's Mother's Day gift last year. I dried out the blooms, cultivated the seeds and hopefully they'll grow abundantly into bright yellow and orange flowers. Those are going to be planted on the perimeter of my vegetable garden because I've read that marigolds are a deterrent for many garden pests (and I need as much help as I can get!).

We have a list of lawn/garden projects, that I have to admit I look forward to tackling... the vegetable garden is started and I am nervously excited about it. I'll save that for another post. We're clearing out the brush from a small stand of trees. It was overgrown with vines and possibly poison ivy. We're stripping it down and may add a bench and some stepping stones once done. I'll post about that later, too. There are other flower beds I want to clear out as well but I don't know yet what I want to put in them, but in the meantime I've discovered I enjoy weeding and tending to the plants. (I just often forget to water them, which, I'm told, is key to their survival...)

But for now, I'll leave you with some pictures of Spring around our home.