Monday, April 05, 2010

Easter Blessings

Color has returned to the garden after the long, white winter.
We have daffodils blooming - a blessing indeed!


The warmth of the sun during the past 4 days has caused the blooms of spring bulbs to burst open!

 We've had glorious summery days since Thursday, April 1st, with temperatures reaching into the low 80's (approx. 27ºC) on Friday and Saturday...warm enough to open doors and windows! Sheer bliss!
It's been a very long time since we've felt air warmed to 80ºF and been able to enjoy working outside with the sunshine on our shoulders.
I've spent some time working in the garden, and oh, those muscles were stiff and sore the first day after being used very little for 5 months! But my back is feeling much better now and I'm quickly adjusting. It feels so good to be out in the fresh air, digging in the dirt!

These beauties were the first to open in the Rose-Clematis Garden.

A few clumps of golden yellow King Alfreds are blooming in the Top Driveway Garden.

And down in the Lilac garden in the front yard Hannah explores as she follows me around. Posted by Picasa

Scilla Siberica (Siberian Squill) blooms beside the daffodils.

They're tiny but oh, so pretty in their sweet blue bonnets.
Their color goes beautifully with the bright yellow of the daffs.

The snowdrops have lasted remarkably well. Some of the clumps are finishing now but there are more beginning to open in other parts of the garden.

I'm thrilled with the little Chionodoxa (Glory of the Snow) blooms in The Rock Garden down by the road.

Bees have been busy! This one is buried bottoms up in the purple crocuses, which I finally managed to catch open for a photo op on April 1st after waiting a week while they stayed tightly closed to the gloomy weather.

Jasmine is watching that bee! Posted by Picasa

She thinks it might like to play...but no.

Hannah comes to see what's going on....

Thankfully, the bee is much too busy to bother with a couple of curious kitties.

 
We are blessed indeed to have a risen Savior!

(the Easter lily blooms in July in my garden. This photo is from summer 2009)
I hope you all had a very happy and blessed Easter.

22 comments:

Sunita Mohan said...[Reply]

Blessed indeed in so many ways, too many to count! I personally think you're blessed to have so much beauty around you. And those kitties are really and truly blessed to be strolling around in the midst of all those blooms.
What a soul-full of colour and gorgeousness!
Happy Easter, Kerri!

joco said...[Reply]

Good morning,
Can't remember what it feels like to have a day in the low 80's. Hasn't happened here during the past two years.
Lovely to see that you finally have the cheery colours around. And a good excuse to take a step back and sit down to contemplate rather than work out there :-)

Unknown said...[Reply]

Wow, Kerri, everything has leaped ahead for sure! I'm glad to see that your colours have returned to the garden in abundance. The kitties look very happy to be out inspecting bees, too. Hope you've had a wonderful Easter.

Tabor said...[Reply]

Isn't it exciting to see the little yellow faces and to smell the delicate fragrances? In response, chocolate mulch was just poetic license...no cocoa shells here. The seed pods are from a tree in Florida. They are fairly common but I cannot for the life of me identify!

Roses and Lilacs said...[Reply]

We have had the same weather here. The daffodils opened in a rush. If temps stay in the 70's the spring flowers won't last long.
Marnie

Beth said...[Reply]

Really lovely flowers! Spring is a gift! Love Jasmine and Hannah too.
God bless,
Beth

Needled Mom said...[Reply]

I'll bet those muscles were sore after such a long winter, but I'll bet that it also felt realy good to exercise them in that warm sunshine.

Your spring blooms are all so gorgeous and a very welcome sight in the garden, I am sure.

I think the cats are enjoying the warm weather and outdoor activity as much as you are.

Our Easter was lovely. We were together with family and consider ourselves very blessed.

Happy Easter season to you and your family.

F Cameron said...[Reply]

Hannah and Jasmine are so cute trying to play in the blooms!

Your gardens are so lovely and I enjoy all your photos so much.

After such a long, cold winter, it feels like summer rather than spring.

Anonymous said...[Reply]

We certainly feel the same way about the joys that spring can bring once we leave gloomy winter behind! Isn't it glorious? Daffodils are our reward for making it through another winter. He is risen indeed!

kylieps said...[Reply]

Hi Mum,
I love those white daffs with the yellow centers and white frills around the edges. Just beautiful. Miss those kitties.

sweetbay said...[Reply]

I bet you are so happy to have such warm temps and bright sun! Your flowers are beautiful, and such wonderful lighting.

Anonymous said...[Reply]

Kerri,
Your cats probably think that you planted the flowers just for them. I have to say that they look good parked in the flower beds.
I hope you had a great Easter and didn't overeat like I did. This week finds me doubling up on the exercise!

Lovely gardenshots.

Bonnie said...[Reply]

Kerri,
I'm a little more upstate than you. I'm up near Lake Ontario, considered Central New York. We also have enjoyed some 80 degree days. Isn't it wonderful? Everything is opening so early, I love it. Your photos are beautiful.
Bonnie

BernieH said...[Reply]

Beautiful blooms ... such delightful photos. Spring, of course, in my part of the world is not a stand-out season ... actually it's pretty hard to tell what season it is around here ... but I so love looking at the photos of places that have distinctly different seasons!

Thanks so much for dropping by my tattered butterfly mosaic. Are you getting more sunshine yet? Hopefully butterflies will appear in your garden very soon.

Babara said...[Reply]

Dear Kerri, you're so right when mentioning that our gardens have their "slaves" again :-)! And the first days working outside make us feel all our muscles which we have almost forgotten during winter ;-)! But Spring days are wonderful days, full of joy and blessings. And when temperatures are so high as the ones you recently had, then a day outside is perfect. Besides "your" temperatures would be a hot summmer day here ;-) ! Here daffodils also bloomed right for Easter (we call them Osterglocken = Easter bells).
Enjoy all the beauty in your blooming garden!

garden girl said...[Reply]

Your garden is looking beautiful Kerri - love those daffodils. I added scilla to the garden in fall '08, and it's so nice seeing them starting to spread. It's amazing considering how little they are, how much color they bring to the early spring garden.

Can't wait to dig some of my daughter's huge field of snowdrops at her new house in the woods to bring some here. They've been naturalizing there for, probably decades, and there are probably millions of them. Now I'm sort of glad I procrastinated on buying bulbs last fall!

Hope you had a wonderful Easter.

*Ulrike* said...[Reply]

Such beautiful colors everywhere! I agree though, I keep asking my hubby why am I so sore and he gives the duh look! But hey, I am so glad it is warm enough for all of us to be back outside!

Layanee said...[Reply]

So bright and cheery and with cats. I do hope you had a peaceful and wonderful holiday.

Marie said...[Reply]

Beautiful spring photos :)

Ellie said...[Reply]

What a happy spring post Kerri!
It's lovely to see all your bulbs flowering at the same time. Here in the Netherlands the snowdrops are first, followed by the crocuses. They are long gone now. At the moment, the early daffodils and Chionodoxa are flowering. Scilla siberica has yet to open its flowers.

I'm envious of your summer days! It has been too long since we ate our meals outside.

Tabor said...[Reply]

I responded to your bird question on my blog, btw.

Lynn said...[Reply]

Hi Kerri, our first daffodil opened on Easter morning, and that was a beautiful sign. It was a beautiful day. Your color is magnificent! And the cats delightful. Our Bud has been getting many a sunny nap, and we're all very grateful to feel the warmth. Happy Spring and a belated Happy Easter :)