March in the garden has been up and down, warm days and the promise of spring then a cold snap with a hard freeze and a day of snow. Back to warm, then another three days of overnight temps in the 20s. I had to keep an eye on the forecast, twice having to cover up the most tender of the bulbs coming up for several days each time. Picture heavy post today!
During the ideal seed bed starting time at the beginning of the month, I planted seeds in little jiffy pots, marking the varieties with plastic knives and a sharpie pen. I used red ones for the tomato plants just for fun, and since I had them. DH hooked up the grow light, and I try to remember to water them.
The hyacinth bed was coming to life early in March.
Dreary and cold at the beginning of the month, many birds were taking advantage of my homemade suet cakes. DH likes this woodpecker.
On the mountainside behind the house, vincas are blooming profusely, creating a bit of a purple carpet on the ground.
The cardinal couple came by several times to take advantage of the bounty. I’ve been trying to get a photo of the male feeding the female, so sweet.
The cherry tree bloomed early in March, lovely pale pink blooms.
By mid month, the seeds were starting to sprout.
Then, mid-March, a day of snow! I knew this was coming, and had covered up the tender bulbs.
This little wren sat on the railing watching it come down.
I thought I had a pair of bluebirds, and finally got pictures of both. Here is the female getting a bite during the snowy day.
A little bit later, the male showed up for a meal.
And as quickly as it came, it was gone by the end of the day. I uncovered the hyacinth bed to see they all survived the several nights of hard freeze in the mid 20s. The fragrance of these flowers was so strong as I took the sheet off. Heavenly. Hyacinths really do feed the soul.
A few days later with the sun to warm the plants, they were growing taller and coming out even more.
The hydrangea is waking up now. I don’t see any buds though, and wonder if it will bloom this year.
Last fall I planted 155 bulbs, mostly crocus and daffodils. The daffodils are coming up, but not nearly the number I planted. I wonder if the squirrels got some. One clump has the orange centers. There are 6-7 bulbs producing leaves but not all are producing flowers. Perhaps I just need to wait a while as there do appear to be more buds coming up.
These are in the lower part of the island in the driveway, a variety that is all yellow.
Up in the planter box next to the hyacinths, this double daffodil is really unusual! Creamy outer petals have apricot centers.
The purple crocus blooms came out at the same time. There are a few white ones in the bed, along with the darker purple and my favorite variegated. I put these in the iris bed, between the iris rhizomes so the bed would have a longer blooming time. I need to clean the leaves out of there, now that the freeze has passed.
The azalea buds have some dark spots. I am afraid the freeze got them again this year. I’ll have to wait until April to find out.
The turkeys are back too, after an absence of a couple of weeks. It is mating season for them, and the male is working hard to show how wonderful he is, fluffing and strutting.
The color of the crocuses is so vibrant, I am delighted that they are coming up nicely. This is a close up of that variegated one.
I know spring is on the way now, and I hope we are done with the snow and the snap freezes. Our area is so pretty in spring, bursting with flowers. This year, though, the cherries bloomed too early, and the forsythias were cut short by the late March freeze and snow. But the real show is yet to come, with the azaleas and rhododendrons usually blooming in April.
What is going on in your garden?
From My Carolina Home 
Very pretty! It looks much like Our Homeplace! When I moved here, I disliked it…until springtime! Ah! Gorgeous! -Jean💟
Thank you for sharing your springtime! Just a few brave crocus are blooming here in Michigan.
Here in SW Florida, we do not have the spring plants that I loved from the Midwest. Thank you for your pictures which bring back those wonderful memories… right down to the turkeys. When the Captain and I married 13 years ago…each morning 7 deer would make the trek through our back yard bordering on greenspace and a creek…followed shortly by a flock of turkeys …5 to be exact and then in the early evening…the same menagerie would make the return trip. Such a delight to watch.
I LOVE that variegated crocus and those Hyacinths, what beautiful colors in your garden. Ours is still bleak, although the daffy’s have surfaced. We are to get more snow tonight/tomorrow.
Beautiful flowers – I love the crocuses, my mother planted them every year, much to the delight of me & my siblings as we waited for the first flowers to peek thru the soil! My azaleas are in full bloom – white ones! I fertilized my amaryllis as you suggested – a healthy look to it right now – am looking forward to a beautiful red one when it blooms!
I see you still have your wild turkeys – we used to have some visit years ago I don’t know where they all disappeared to. I love all your flowers and glad they survived the cold nights and the snow ok I want to get more bulbs to plant in the fall. Everything in your yard looks so lovely
Those close up pictures of the crocuses (crocusi?) take my breath away!
Those spring flowers are so pretty! My flower beds have a blanket of snow on them! One hyacinth is peeking out. I didn’t know bluebirds came to seed feeders! I have never had them visit mine ever. They do come to our yard and we put out a house this year, although they probably won’t choose it.
Thanks for the lovely photos. What a great start to my morning!
It’s so nice to see the gardens waking up and sending forth such gorgeous color.
Carole,
Oh my – the cardinal couple and the bluebirds!!! Fabulous as are the cherry tree, and all of your flowers. Thank you for sharing all of these glorious beauties with us today. We all need a little Spring. ~smile~ Roseanne
Your spring garden is beautiful, and purple and gold, beautiful colours together.
Enjoying your blooms, spring is about another month away here. Still buried under snow.
Gorgeous pictures! I enjoyed every one.
So many pretty pictures. 🙂 The flowers were wonderful.
Hello Carole; Such beautiful pictures of your flowers, bushes, birds and the turkeys! Plus, your little seedlings peeking up from the soil. I always enjoy the pictures you share of your flowers and wildlife. I am anxiously awaiting for our weather to cooperate long enough to be considered spring. We are still running our heater round the clock, today all around us it is snowing and where it is not snowing it is raining a very cold hard rain. My hundreds of daffodils are all in full bloom. Yet, this year there are so many of them that are white instead of yellow. I have not taken the time to research and find out if it is caused by the weather or because I have not been able to get outside and take care of them. By this time, we are usually out enjoying the birds and wildlife, while we are preparing flower beds and the vegetable garden for the pre planting series. A lot of people are saying that our weather patterns are beginning to slowly change as they have throughout our history. I find that very interesting. I look forward to seeing the pictures throughout spring of your gardens and wildlife! Have a great day!
Oh so lovely, Carole!! Nothing happening in our garden but snow and ice so far, sigh – I shall enjoy every one of your picture heavy posts showing spring flowers and happy birds!!
I believe daffies are poisonous, thus deer, squirrels, and others have not bothered mine. It is trying hard to snow here again. Next week we shall have spring weather (again). LOL
Carole, the variegated crocus is stunning. I can imagine the smell of your hyacinths! We had two mornings this week with frost. We covered hydrangeas and I hope they will survive. My Lady Banks Roses have tons of buds, I will just have to wait and see about the frost! Hopefully your azaleas will be beautiful. I enjoyed the walk through your garden!
Okay the close up pic of the crocuses is AMAZING!! What a confusing winter we have had! No bulbs have bloomed here yet…I am waiting.
Lovely to see the spring flowers in your garden and the different types of birds who come and visit.. our garden is suffering from the heat and no rain, some is forecast for today, so fingers crossex.
We had crocuses coming up too, before they were covered with a foot of snow.
Lovely pictures, Carole! We went out to the garden today, and the soul,has thawed enough to to plant the peas. There will likely be more snow, but we often go from 60 to 90 so quickly that the peas just languish. DH hopes that if we can get them in the ground now, we might have a chance of getting some to produce before the hot weather in June. Time will tell! The snow is gone as of last night…we got rain instead of snow, so we may have finally turned the corner and no longer have teens.
Your pictures are just beautiful! I had some tulip shoots starting to sprout but the deer and bunnies got those already. That’s my favorite flower and I just can’t grow them anymore. I’m waiting for my only clump of daffodils to make flowers. I think I have a hyacinth or two but haven’t see them yet. Thanks for sharing your garden and birds!
Too hot here for hyacinths, crocus and daffodils to do well. I’ll enjoy them vicariously by looking at your beautiful photos. Some great shots of the birds, too. It’s starting to cool down here, but still some uncharacteristically hot days. Plenty of good growing weather left, so I’ve been planting dianthus and pansies.
Everything is growing so well and looking very pretty.
Looking at your pretty flowers and dreaming of spring. We had 14 inches of snow very wet, heavy snow overnight!
Beautiful photos Carole! I always love seeing your turkeys!
Jenna
Beautiful pictures! My favorite is the closeup of the purple crocus. Gorgeous!
Love your Garden.