Ahhhhh…
It’s been raining off and on for several weeks, leaving the air fresh and clear. I managed some garden time between storms, pulling together a spring garden posy. I love this time of year.
Spring posy nestled in the planting bed. The wind kept tipping it over, but I finally got this shot
Hyacinth, Daffodil, Nigella, and Freesia in a tiny vase
It’s cheering seeing bulbs emerge from the dark, wet soil. Most are brightly colored and in some cases scented, too. They’re an intoxicating mix and a harbinger of things to come.
The hyacinth come up first…
Pink candy-cane striped hyacinth
Fragrant and lovely hyacinth
followed by narcissus (daffodils)…
Garden posy: daffodil, hyacinth and Nigella greens
White freesia
and then freesia.
The freesia are the garden darlings these days, growing larger and spreading farther year after year. They pop up in whites, reds, yellows and pinks, and seem to last for weeks.
“Spring drew on…and a greenness grew over those brown beds, which, freshening daily, suggested the thought that hope traversed them at night and left each morning brighter traces of her steps.”
–Charlotte Brontë
As I said earlier, “Ahhhhh….”
Gardening Nirvana 
I’m glad you’ve been getting rain for a change, Alys. Hopefully, this will help your garden through the coming months.
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Thank you, Helen. It’s nice to have my rain water tanks full.
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That’s quite a bit of rain then!
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Yes!
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So wonderful you are getting much-needed rain. And, also cheering to read that in some parts of the country, March is a lovely month. In Maine, we are still buried beneath snow.
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Laurie, March sounds like a rough time for you, winter’s last hurrah before finally giving way to spring. You must celebrate every warm day when they finally arrive.
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You bet!
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What a refreshing sight those posies are first thing this morning. We are having snow and rain mixed and temps were in the mid to high 20’s but finally warming a bit. The same for today and tomorrow. Maybe then we will see a little color pop up. I’ll just keep looking at these for the time being. Thanks for cheering us up from our gloom. 😉 Hugs and love, M
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Mid-20s sounds cold, Marlene. I’m glad to hear you’re finally heading in to a warming trend. The weeds are heavy this year with such steady rain, but I’ve not had the time or the dryer days to do much about it. I like to get to them early before the flower and reseed. I’m glad the images spoke to you and brightened your computer screen for a few moments. I hope the new living arrangement is settling down and that you are both doing well. Let’s try for a phone call. xo
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I really miss the scented spring bulbs… No winter chill-down here, so no cheerful flower faces to kick the season off.
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Scented bulbs definitely elicit a bit of nostalgia. My mother gave us a hyacinth bulb for Christmas one year when we were girls and I can still remember the thrill watching it emerge all these years later.
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I miss freesias! Every spring when you feature them on your blog I think I must get some bowls planted up with freesias for my front door……… 🙂 I’m glad to hear you have enough rain to fill your water tanks. I hope you continue to get enough rain to keep you and your garden happy, but not so much that it becomes a problem. Yesterday our incredible heat slowly abated and swapped itself out for a cooler airstream and some rain. I have to say I was quite pleased! Enjoy your spring!
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Pauline, I think now is your time to plant them for next spring, am I right? Do you order the bulbs online are do you have a local nursery selling them? I’ve had mixed luck with bulbs over the years, but the freesia and the hyacinth are reliable performers year after year. They’re the most fragrant, too. I planted some summer bulbs last year, but only a few. I didn’t want to make the investment until I knew they would come up again. I’m happy to hear you’ve had cooler weather and a bit of rain. That goes a long way toward cooling things down and refreshing the garden and the air. Does Siddy lift his nose to the air when it’s about to rain? I watched Mouse do that one year. They seem to catch that special scent (which I love) just before the drops begin to fall. They have had flooding in the northern areas, where they get a much heavier rainfall. San Jose is in an area referred to as a “rain shadow” so whatever we get is always less than other regions around us. xo
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I did not know that about SJ being a ‘rain shadow’ what a lovely way to refer to the reality of low rainfall. I do know that special scent of rain gathering it’s a magical thing. I can’t say I have noticed Siddy twitch his nose, but O does 🙂 Yes indeed, it’s time to purchase bulbs….
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I love your flowers! It’s hard to imagine spring ever coming; today is above freezing here but I just heard that the freeway through the Rockies is closed due to avalanches and that there is MORE snow coming tomorrow. Still, eventually that snow will be the water that makes my lawn green this summer so I’m being philosophical. I just want some green and blooms!
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It must be hard to endure long, cold winters without any greenery in site. I’m sorry, too, to hear about the avalanches. How scary. Spring will eventually show up. My hope for you is that it’s sooner than later.
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Evergreens are our friends, and there is a quiet beauty to all the white snow. I am looking forward to spring!
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I can almost smell the scent of that lovely posy from here. Yesterday I caught the beautiful perfume of the tiny violets that are everywhere in the grass at the moment and I was transported back to childhood holidays in Devon where all the gift shops sold various gifts perfumed with Devon violets.
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Oh, what a lovely memory. Scents are amazing that way; they take you right back. I have a beautiful swath of tiny violets that self-seeded once upon a time, and now fill in all sorts of spots throughout the garden. They’re quite charming.
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What a sweet and beautiful posy, Alys. How fortunate that you set out bulbs early and they’ve had the benefit of all this good rain! I can’t wait to get out in my garden and I’ve been making arrangements to fix a few areas that were not at their best by the end of last year. I don’t think I’ve ever been this late on getting my vegetable beds ready, but at least by the time I do the soil should be better than in years. We have more rain coming again this weekend. This is quite something, don’t you think? Love the pink candy-cane striped hyacinth. She’s really special! 🙂
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Hi Debra. It took a few years to learn what bulbs were “one and done” and what would come back year after year. The freesia are really amazing. I’ve had no luck with tulips, and finally decided if I wanted them I could get a small pot at the grocery store. Narcissus bulbs are toxic to squirrels so they leave them alone. That said, one third of my bed is all but barren this year, so I’ll have to sort out the why when the rain stops and I can safely dig without compacting the soil. It’s always a learning experience, eh? The rain has been amazing, at least for us. It’s been far too heavy north of here as you’ve seen. I can’t imagine that kind of flooding coming up to my front door. I hope you’re enjoying your series of storms. This clean air is wonderful. Happy gardening!
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I’m smelling that spring bulb flower scent…These are so lovely, and they do provide a glimpse of spring’s flashy tail from around the corner…We’re a bit behind you, but I’m looking forward to gardening again. I’m glad you’re getting the rain that starts off your garden well.
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It’s such an intoxicating smell. I look forward to it every year I keep thinking I should plant more. Then autumn rolls around and it’s been hot for months and I’m tired and then Halloween and somehow I never plant more. I’m glad the freesia are spreading on their own accord. That’s been wonderful. I would like to plant more hyacinth. They too have an amazing scent. When do you normally get into your garden to plant, Lisa? Mid-April or even later than that?
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And I join you in an Ahhhhh…….
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xo
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Oh, three of my very favourite flowers! Do you plant jonquils as well as daffodils? I find the jonquils just keep coming up in the garden, and they have a beautiful scent too. I am so pleased you have had decent rain, although rather envious. It has been so dry here over Summer, just hanging in there for the Autumn rains. May they come soon.
Did I tell you that I cleaned the bird bath, thanks to your recent blog? It is due another clean soon. I have set out a shallow bowl with some pebbles in it for water for the bees. Not sure they are drinking from it, but I maybe they have drinks while I am not looking!
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Anne, I had to look up jonquils. it turns out they are ” in the same genus but a different family. Although they appear to be the same, botanists have separated them due to some minor physical characteristics. The 13 divisions are an attempt to classify the bulbs according to size, color, growth habit and other attributes. The last division describes wild species and the first 12 are the cultivated species The jonquils are in Division 7 and have some species in Division 13. Jonquils and daffodils are in the same family but different divisions and are both poisonous if eaten. There is some discrepancy about how many species there are in the divisions.” I also learned that they grow well in the southeast, so we’re probably on the dryer, less humid side. Isn’t plant life fascinating? I hope your fall rains arrive on the early side. I know all too well what it feels like to spend month in the hot, dry temps. Here we have the added smog (yuck). I hope you are at least spared that during your summer months. We’re enjoying a warm day here, very spring like. We’ll have a few more rainy days next week, but by April we’re close to done for many months. I’m so glad you found the bird bath cleaning helpful. It’s wonderful putting out water for the gardening visitors. Thanks for the reminder, too, to place a bowl with marbles for the bees. I’m always saddened when I discover one drowned. They need all the help we can provide. Thanks for the visit, Anne.
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Magical California weather ! I adore the heavy scent of both hyacinths and freesia. How lucky to be able to grow your own. Both are pricey in our flower shops. I’m not sure where they’re imported from. I know you can force bulbs too, but my two yo-yo’s can’t leave live plants alone. Are any of those downpours and floods near San Jose? I think the news I saw was from Sonoma. Last year tinder dry, this year floating down the river. So unpredictable. I think our daffodils might start to come up at the end of May. When the ground begins to warm and thaw. Que fingers tapping on countertop….patience is a virtue! xoxo
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Aaah, yes! I can see spring has arrived for you Alys! It is slowly creeping our way too, but I need a bit of patience still. 😉 Thanks for sharing your lovely posy! 🙂 xx
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My pleasure, Cathy. I’m glad you’re getting ready to plant. What a fun time of year for us gardeners.
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There you go again, evoking my inner bee with your garden’s greenery and gorgeous blooms! Your hyacinths are especially beautiful, Alys. Or should I say Aaaaahlys? 🙂 xoxo
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You make me smile. xo
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The feeling is mutual! ❤️
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Ohhhhh so lovely!
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Thank you, Sheryl!
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