Spring Equinox

[poliphilo]

Winter always goes on just that little bit too long.

I don't hate winter. I like snow and bad weather and Christmas tree lights.

And the winter stars. I love the winter stars.

But there always comes a time when I've had enough.

And it's always several weeks before winter finally packs it in.

But here's the Spring Equinox at last. Yesterday wasn't just mild, it was hot. Walking down the street, we passed a tree full of cock sparrows all flapping and pecking and skriking at one another. I guess love was in the air.

And today I looked into the back yard and saw a hen blackbird with moss in her beak go dodging into a clump of honeysuckle and ivy.

Nest-building. Yay!

Comments

[lblanchard.livejournal.com]

I am looking forward to window box pictures

Well, here's hoping they live up to all of my hype. Last year, the weight of the hanging stuff pulled them right off their brackets a couple of times.

Your garden thoughts have often given me moments of green pleasure

That would be green as in "plants" and not green as in "envy," I hope! For me, the trick is to focus on the possible. There's always some greenish thing that one can do as long as one has a windowsill -- consider the Victorians and their gallant aspidistras. Fluorescent lights sustain foliage and, for some plants, even blooming. I've had impatiens seedlings come into bloom under plain old non-grolite fluorescents. When all else fails, a small flowering plant from the supermarket or the Wal*Mart can be a fine mood lifter.

My grand scheme for the dark days of 05-06, as I mentioned elsewhere, is bulb-forcing. Surely it can't be too terribly hard.

Perhaps later today I'll liberate my catalpa tree from the crisper in the fridge (speaking of forcing and keeping things cold).

[jackiejj.livejournal.com]

I meant "green" as in growing things.

I have been outside raking away the very last pine needles and oak leaves from my front beds and found my

- clematis vine is leafing out
- shamrocks are making nice green healthy clumps
- Lenten roses (white and pink) are in full bloom
- Japanese bloodroot has leafed out and will soon have its shy white flowers in the deep shade
- tulips about to bloom
- forsythia is blooming; so is spirea and flowering quince

Hooray! I will be outside from now on, starting early and staying late, coming in for tea at lunchtime.

At last.