Hello, sweeties!

The first day of spring has come and gone and despite a lot of brown (twigs, leaves, bark, grass, etc.), there are shining tiny moments of the earliest spring flowers.

My snowdrops are on the wane now that temps are tipping above 50 degrees fairly regularly. The snow crocus have also zipped through their short window of flowering. The mid season crocus have taken the baton and are showing off. The Tommy crocus (Crocus tommasinianus) have stubbornly survived the desert conditions under the David elm. Go cuties!

The Iris reticulata and Katharine Hodgkin iris are in full bloom, delighting me every day with their elegant upright petals. Am I down on hands and knees trying to capture their loveliness? You betcha! It also reminds me to plant more as some have melted away. I suspect they like sharper drainage than my clay loam soils provide.

Katharine Hodgkin iris

The witch hazel is blooming and seems to mutter darkly under its breath that it’s too soon. The buds on the spicebush are swelling and considering the wisdom of opening in March. C’mon guys!

And then my tiny clump of winter aconite has grown in size. I still have to force myself to plant yellow flowers, since its my least favorite color. However these little darlings have stolen my heart. I’ll have to scatter patches hither and yon for splashes of gold on crisp March days.

What’s blooming in your yard? What are you favorite signs of spring?