Spring in a Minute

It's been a long, cold, wet winter (again) here in Portland. The ground is beginning to yield to some sweet green sprouts but the pots and urns are still sadly wanting...
Garden Gal to the rescue!

Voila!...a pot of lovely color and texture...Tete a Tete Daffodils, Ruby Red Tulips and miniature Iris plants just make the world a little brighter. Yes?

Helpful Hint from Garden Gal: Plant bulbs deep in your containers. Later in the season, add summer annuals in soil on top of them. The bulbs will sleep all year and wake up again to let you know that Spring is on it's way!

Crocus in Wilshire Park

Yes, dear reader, Spring is finally coming to the northwest!
On a walk in the park, I first saw a smattering of lavender crocus...

A few feet away, there was a larger smattering....

And then I looked a bit further, and this is what I saw...

What a sight to behold!

What's not to love?

We don't have much sprouting from the ground yet in Portland, but look at this happy little burst of gorgeous color I saw today! The arrangement was created by Ink & Peat and sat on the counter at Caffe Destino, my favorite neighborhood coffee place. I love the colors and all the textures...orange roses and alstromeiria, white stock, green kale, and bits of pink heather just for fun. So friendly and cheerful!

Optimistic Rhodys

Rhododendrons are ubiquitous here in the northwest, but February is a little early for the blossoms to come out. The other day there was snow in the forecast, but these pink blooms just wanted everyone to know who's boss. Pink and sweet and a harbinger of things to come....

Dahlias are delightful

After all these months of grey and rain and cold, I thought we could all use a little color! These dahlias were at a farmer's market on Whidbey Island last September. I kept the image because it feels so warm and cheery....it's good to remember that Spring is just around the corner!

Daffodils on a Thursday morning

These soon to be lovelies are just beginning to show. I plan to take a photo of them each Thursday morning until they are in full bloom. Let's watch them unfold together!