"One of the most delightful things about a garden is the anticipation it brings."

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Signs of Spring under snow!

We woke up to a very nice surprise today... snow!  Nothing like what the east coast received, but for me it was the perfect type.  Enough to play in and roads are mostly clear and it's on a school break.  The girls were up and ready for a snowball fight and snowman building.

I told them they couldn't throw snowballs at me because I had the camera, otherwise I would've been their target.
Of course since I had the camera that meant I had to see what was happening in the garden, and even under the snow I found early signs of spring.

There was a big Ponderosa Pine covered in snow and...

signs of spring underneath the snow on the Dogwood tree.  Look at those nice flower buds forming already.

There was a Snowball bush covered in snow and...

Blueberry bushes with leaf buds as well as a few new leaves (but those leaves seem a little too early).

I found Sedum snow flowers and...

Camellia flower buds fattening up.

One of the garden fairies must have gotten caught in the snow and left her little bucket behind.

But the Anna's Hummingbird wasn't leaving anything behind in our garden, especially her attiutude.

She buzzed me and chased me off from the feeder I was standing close to.  She looks very innocent sitting at the top of the Dogwood tree.

I think I'm wearing out the pages of the seed catalogs.  I've even pulled out the old David Austin rose catalog and started trying to decide which one I will choose for the front entry garden. This is a perfect day for spring dreaming inside the warm house!
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41 comments:

  1. Oh I am so envious of the little green buds emerging. We will be a long while before we see any signs of Spring here. The little Anna hummingbird is so cute.

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  2. Fun Fun Fun! Wish I were there. I'm just a little jealous - after all we are here on the warm gulf coast (well not so warm now but..) and I don't have that much action on the plants. I did notice what I think to be Red Poppy plants coming up and there are some others too. I am thinking about those pretty flowers too. I know you were thrilled to see new growth getting ready for 2011. Happy New Year to you and the family. May 2011 be all you wish for.

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  3. Hi Catherine,
    We are going to be close to 50 tomorrow, but I know it will be very short lived. We have a lot of snow on the ground so now they are prediciting heavy fog.

    Eileen

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  4. Hi Catherine,
    We also woke up to snow this morning but it was only a very thin dusting. The sun has been out all day until now. Love the hummingbird pictures.
    Happy New Year.
    Kay

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  5. Oh, we got the same touch of snow here. I am so jealous of your fat buds, we have nothing here, and we are about 40 or 50 miles south of you, but up on the plateau, so that probably accounts for us being a little behind.

    The girls look like they are having fun. I always told my husband and son that they weren't allowed to throw snowballs at me. They never listened though.

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  6. Wow, there are definitely lots of signs of spring under all that snow. Amazing.

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  7. I so want snow. It keeps missing us. We're still dry. Fog is the only moisture we've had. Your garden looks good in snow.

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  8. The girls look like they are having a blast. The snow is pretty. Hard to believe you have growth on your Dogwood Tree..

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  9. How pretty! Sweetpea was wishing for snow today! I know both girls had a blast playing in the snow. Can't believe you have so many new things popping out. I get excited just looking at your pictures. I have been wearing out the Park Seed online catalog too!

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  10. I've got daffs popping up all over the backyard. It's too early. I think. Looking back to two years ago, I had daffs blooming in mid January. Last year was a very different story.

    After weeks of cold weather and some snow, we're going to be in the 60s this weekend. Some of the trees still haven't lost their leaves. It's crazy.

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  11. Catherine,

    That blueberry seems awful early! Sweet you still have a hummingbird! Just got our first 2 seed cats today and yesterday, not had time to look yet.

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  12. I always find it so uplifting to see the buds of spring already formed on the snow-covered shrubs!

    Today there has been a real feeling of spring in the air, much earlier than usual.

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  13. Dear Catherine, You have shown me a sight I have never seen. Your Anna hummer above the snow lined branches is amazing! Happy New Year!

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  14. Oh Catherine, I love the sight of your hummingbird. I will not see ours until May, sigh:(. A green shot anywhere in the garden would be perfect, only brown and white here. But enjoy your snow present. Take care.

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  15. How lovely to see signs of spring when so much of us are crashing headlong into winter. Here's hoping you had a happy Christmas, and all best wishes for a great new year.

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  16. I really loved all of your pictures. I thought the dogwood picture was great with the buds peaking through. Hard to believe there are buds already! The camellia flowers buds fattening up was a neat picture as well. We've been getting a lot of snow today, too, and it's not supposed to let up for the next couple of days. We keep saying that the best investment we ever made was in our snowblower! Ha. I ohpe you had a wonderful Christmas. - Miss Daisy

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  17. Hi Catherine - I never imagined I would ever see a hummingbird and snow in the same picture! Fantastic and fun pics

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  18. I always LOVE your pictures and everything you share with us, Catherine...today is no exception!!! So nice to see your daughters having so much fun in the snow. I can't wait to see their fairy door attached to the tree they have selected for this purpose ;) And, is there any of the Gingerbread House left???

    You are SO VERY DILIGENT, studying up on the plants you're planning to select for next season. I'm one of those "lazy?" gardeners - I spend ages happily drifting around our local nurseries, gazing at everything...until something SHOUTS out at me to be bought. I then bring home the day's purchases (yes, I'm very easily tempted and so get shouted at a lot!) to find a place to plant them!

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  19. I'm so happy that you got some snow since I know how much you want it. We're kind of sick of it... we've had snow for several weeks now and snow in november isn't normal at all, not even in december. And IF we get any snow in the winter it only last for at most a day or two. Having last winter in fresh memory I'm afraid that the snow will last until april again.
    Happy New Year / gittan

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  20. Love the hummingbird in the snow!
    We only got flurries here on Christmas day but the children (and adults) loved the slight possibility of having a white Christmas.

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  21. I wish we could have a day of snow like you got. It's just been rainy and gloomy and warm. It's just not fair.

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  22. Hummingbirds in snow? Unreal! Here we are having a heat wave and I'm ready to start planting. No sigh of daffodils yet though last year they were up at this time. I'm hoping that is a good thing. Happy New Year to you and the family!

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  23. That's amazing. We don't even think about spring around here until at least April!

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  24. Catherine I'm loving this post because you have gotten my imagination going wild with excitement ...

    "Dreaming of spring in the warm house" Ahhhh yes, what a delightful inspirational thought. I can't wait for springs arrival, You have me day dreaming and inspired me today, Thank you..

    Happy New Year to you and family..

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  25. I can't believe all of the wonderful buds you have popping out. I strolled around the place day before yesterday and nothing really. Not even a sign of a Hellebores getting ready.
    Looks like the girls are having fun ~ thank goodness for the camera huh? I hate getting bombarded with snowballs!
    It froze pretty solid last night and I just realized I left the greenhouse door open when I went up there the other day. OOPs ~ hope everything is ok. We only had snow for a couple of minutes early yesterday morning.

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  26. I thought your hellebore might have been under snow! I don't know what's up with the blueberries this year, we've one try to bloom already! I think the weather, at least here, is just too confusing. Wet, warm, cold, wet again, cold again. I just noticed your ticker...only 80 days until spring? Oh, it's going to be a long winter. Happy catalog shopping. Ever the optimist, I've already placed two orders for seeds! ;)

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  27. Love the sedum flowers...one snowfall a year is great, anymore and I am done.
    Love the dogwood buds.

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  28. Snow sure is pretty...everything looks so clean.
    You get hummers in the winter ?
    I thought they all went south.

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  29. Our hummers all disappear once the cold weather arrives. How lucky you are! I know you don't get as much snow as we do, so you probably enjoy it much more. Pretty how it covers all the gray though.

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  30. Hi Catherine, I've never had a winter hummingbird feeder but the hummers have always been here anyway. I don't exactly know what they're eating but I set out the feeder now so they'll have something sweet with which to wash it down. :) I love your signs of spring. Lord knows we need all the encouragement we can get right now. Love those seed catalogs!

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  31. Wish we'd gotten an inch or two - it just completely passed us by, except for a few flakes! Love that your kids got to play and the winter hummer is still full of 'tude. Gotta be strong and spunky to make it through the cold days, animals and humans alike! Wishing you and your family all the best in the New Year! Cheers - Karen

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  32. I am constantly surprised when I read on US blogs that there are humming birds and snow, I presumed they migrated to warmer areas.
    I have lovely fat buds on my camellias as well such a cheery sight. As for the seed catalogues, I hid them earlier in the month and now I cant find them!!

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  33. Just enough snow to make everything look fresh and lovely and to make a few snowballs. Perfect. Wishing you lots of happy gardening in 2011, Catherine. -Jean

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  34. Spring?!! Wow, do I have plant envy... January and February are the cruelest months of the winter season in IL. Will come back for many visits in the coming months.. living vicariously through your garden growth! Happy New Year...

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  35. Hi. It was fun to play in the snow here. The snowman is most likely frozen solid.


    Sweetpea

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  36. Yes, snow is marvelous when you don't often see it. It is the same here in Tennessee. Here today, gone tomorrow and beautiful in between. But today we have RAIN< RAIN< RAIN! All the better for the hundreds of bulbs I planted. I look forward to your glorious gardens of 2011.

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  37. I too was surprised by the hummingbird in the snow; I always thought they were migratory but I guess I was wrong. However, I have two of them right outside my window enjoying the Arizona Sunshine and fighting for dominance over the feeder. Happy New Year!! May yours be prosperous!

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  38. I can't believe you're seeing hummingbirds! We won't see them for months.
    Nice pics of the life under the white.

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  39. Hello again Catherine, yes a dusting of snow like this is the best type isn’t it. Enjoy it :-)

    Ah… nice to see plant growth there. I can’t believe you have so much. Enjoy your seed catalogue moments!

    Lol… your Hummingbird is doing pretty much the same as our Blue tits at the moment. Chatter, loud chirp and chatter when I’m out filling feeders. I think of them as telling me ‘thank-you but please fill them up quicker next time!’

    Wishing you all (Hummingbirds too) the very best of Health and Happiness in 2011 :-D

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  40. Wonderful snow photos! What fun you had in the snow!

    Yes, that agastache 'Cotton Candy' is the best of the best, IMHO. It is a Terra Nova plant, so you should be able to find it in your area.

    Happy New Year!

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  41. Happy New Year, Catherine! While much of the east coast DID receive a bundle of snow, here in northern VA we've had a mere dusting...no more than an inch so far! Hard to believe, since south and north of us got slammed! Glad your kids have been able to get out in it and have some fun. The good thing about holding the camera was you didn't get a snowball in your face;-) Don't you just love how the garden looks magical with a little snow?! Your photos are really pretty and I can't believe you have a hummingbird flying around in the midst of that! Those are fantastic shots of it hovering in the air! Sending you wishes for a wonderful year ahead!

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