As we deal with the blasted time change yet again, I thought it would be nice to take a quiet walk in the garden to soothe the irritation changing to daylight savings time. I know everyone else likes the light in the evening, but it is going to do that anyway in a few more weeks. For me, it is abruptly dark later in the morning, and I don’t like that. I wake later, meaning I do not get as much done in the morning and have less time to read, plus it takes me weeks to get used to it. There was talk some months ago to just pick a time and stick with it, getting rid of these jolting changes, and I really wish this would become reality. But in the meantime, let’s enjoy the flowers, shall we? My double daffodils are opening with white petals and double ruffled peach color cups. I have no idea why they are all facing the wall this year.
Only one of them is facing the sidewalk. I am thinking of cutting them and bringing them inside to enjoy, but I would rather keep them in the garden. Flowers last longer left alone.
The bed of mixed daffodils is blooming a bit more, with solid yellow ones mixed with white and yellow ones. The retaining wall just behind was Oliver’s favorite spot to munch down a sandwich. Chester visited this week, and took his treat to that same spot. I thought it would make a great photo, sitting next to the colorful blooms, but by the time I got the camera and went back to the veranda, he was gone. For new readers, Oliver and Chester are squirrels. Oliver is gone, and Chester has not quite gotten used to me yet.
The daffodils on the circle have fully opened, showing creamy white petals and yellow ruffled cups. I think these are my favorites. At least six more buds are on the way.
Nearby, a small clump of crocus is preparing to bloom.
Across the driveway, near the azaleas, another bed of daffodils was making progress towards a nice showing.
Two days later, it is blooming beautifully with more to come.
Covering the mountainside in the back, the viola ground cover is blooming.
The plants create a blanket of purple and green where it is too shady for grass.
In the Carolina room, the geranium thinks it is spring already. It is still too cold at night to move it to the front veranda.
Coming back through the house, I thought I’d snap a shot of the amaryllis. It now has five leaves, but still no sign of a flower spike. It didn’t bloom last year, so I gave it more fertilizer with higher phosphorus for blooming, but I am not optimistic for this year. The bulb is ten years old, and may be past its ability to bloom.
Looking out the front windows, I spotted a couple of yellow shafted Northern flickers. They were digging in the ground with their beaks, I suppose looking for bugs.
There were two, and I thought they might be a pair, but research on this variety leads me to believe these are both males. They both have the black mustache spots which females do not have.
A cardinal was sitting on the railing watching them.
Of course, they all flew off as soon as I opened the door. But I had spotted a bit of purple in the brick planter and wanted to investigate. It is a hyacinth. I thought I had moved all those bulbs, but this one is still here. It isn’t going to make a great flower stalk, but a few little blooms will be fragrant.
Then a nice surprise! The Italian parsley seeded itself and has already grown into a good size plant. I love using this in cooking, it adds such a fresh taste to just about any savory dish. I immediately cut a few leaves for use that day.
In the front flower bed, near the double daffodils, another hyacinth is preparing to bloom. This one is white. It’s fragrance is so sweet, lovely!
We had two days of rain this week, luckily on days I could stay home and sew. All that moisture is causing the meadow and bushes to begin sprouting green leaves and tender buds. We have more than a month to our last frost date, and I’ve seen snow in early April before. The cherry tree is blooming nicely, while the trees around it are still somewhat dormant.
The delicate pink blooms cover the small tree’s branches. They are alive with bees, as it has been so warm.
Chester stopped by again later in the week for a meal, this time sitting on the steps, not near a single flower. Oh well, at least he allowed his picture to be taken.
Another group of daffodils that I forgot about has come up and begun to show. Only one flower so far, but I think all of these may be the light yellow petals with deep orange cups. Plus there is yet one more bed that has buds but no blooms, and I cannot remember what colors they are. I’ll show you more of those later.
We’ll be cooking and sewing this coming week. I’ll show you how I’ve been using the confits on Tuesday, and my current projects on Friday. I have several meetings this week plus a car club run, along with the Worldwide Quilting Day exhibit on Saturday, so it will be a busy week.
How is your garden doing?
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From My Carolina Home 
Maybe they should just change the clocks by a half hour and leave it there. I’m tired of the time change too. I love your photos of the birds, spring is springing!
my garden is a huge mess. Mostly naked soil with a few sprouted weeds. It is too cold yet for flowers.
I’m considering planting mostly marigolds and tomatoes this year.
the squirrel at my sister’s house dug up one of her tulip bulbs and left it on the sidewalk for her to find.
it snowed this morning.
I wish they would stop this time change! All of your daffodils are beautiful. Enjoy your busy week, Carole!
your cherry tree is beautiful – here it is the redbuds that are show cased this past week, I have a weeping cherry tree but it shows no signs of buds right now, down the road the Bradford Pears have been blooming for awhile and other trees here and there. It all looks so pretty for spring.
I’m one that doesn’t mind the time change other than the pain in changing some of the clocks in the house and I haven’t learned how to change the one in the car that is recently rather new.
That parsley makes me hungry…our is just coming out of the snow. I am clearing beds and hoping and planning.
We were just watching a flicker at our suet feeder. We have a lot of them around here! Love seeing all your beautiful flowers blooming, too. My tulips are up a couple inches, but it will be awhile before they bloom. I don’t really mind the time change, but would be perfectly happy to stay one way or the other – daylight or standard. Hope you have a good day, Carole!
I love the early spring blooms! Last year I moved a lot of daffodils that were along the edge where I altered the grass line, and they’re blooming, which makes me happy. I placed them along the arc of the concrete bench shaped the same. I have several one offs that have grown in and among my St John’s Wort as it expanded over the years. I’d like to dig them out but tondonthat, I need to dig out partner the St John’s Wort. Maybe next spring…..
Have a great week, Carole.
I’m with you on the time change. Takes me at least two weeks to adjust and it’s a good think I don’t have to do anything really important so I can take the two weeks. lol..Most of my Spring yellow flowers are over and it just amazing to me how fast things like green leaves pop out once a good early rain runs through the area. Of course Easter always brings a crazy cool spell and it is early this year. Enjoy your car run..I’m sure it is fun to get together after the winter.
To be honest, I don’t really have a garden. I’m not really a gardener at all, but I love to look at gardens of others! Friends have tried to convert me, but no dice! The extent of my garden are metal flowers and whirlygigs that decorate our yard. I call those my “no maintenance” garden, once they are put out, no worries at all until fall when they come back in the garage! All is not lost at our house, however, as my husband is a planter of flowers. So I let him go for it. My forte is sewing, scrapping and decorating inside.
Despite how much I dislike shifting the clock around, I’m not sure a 3am summer sunrise or 3pm winter nightfall would make people any happier in the long run. Without shifting the clocks that’s what the day would like for me if we stayed on standard time in summer or daylight savings time in winter. Before there were railroads timekeeping wasn’t as critical. You wouldn’t want two opposing trains on the same track or crossing at the same time because each railroad followed its own timetable.
What a pleasure to see your photos of gardens and nature! March here in Iowa looks drab in comparison.
Isn’t Spring a most wonderful time of the year? Seeing all the new growth is so exciting. Things you’ve forgotten about suddenly are popping up. But I am going into Autumn and the plants are getting ready to go to sleep.
I also hate Daylight Saving. Can’t see the point of it. Left alone it all evens out in the end. Your garden is just waking up and hoping they don’t get their noses burnt by another frost or sprinkle of snow. Happy Spring! :))
I so enjoy your posts! My daffodils include 1 which is a left-over from many years before we moved in. It has been ‘theatening’ or maybe promising is a better word, to bloom for 5 years. But it’s beautiful this year. We also rescued 4 pots of minis from Lowe’s. They seem happy to be out of the confines of those plastic pots! Enjoy! Charlie
There is nothing nicer than Spring flowers, and I love your wild life photos too
This winter has been rough, not much snow and I
Your post on daffodils got me looking forward to the daffodils that will bloom here in another month or so.
The first year here I planted 100 tulip bulbs. I pictured a blaze of color to welcome spring in. In the spring, the deer ate every tulip bud as though they were candy. The deer do not like daffodils so they have been my bulb of choice ever since.
My neighbor told me if I picked my daffodils, I would get more daffodil bulbs the following year. This proved true. I now pick daffodils to put in a vase to liven up the indoors and am rewarded with more daffodils the following year.
Thanks for the picture show!
Jo Anne
It’s so nice to see the garden happenings. I do love the promise of summer when the spring bulbs pop up. I wonder if I’d feel the same about them if winter was on its way. 😂. We heard our first oriole today. They’re so skittish so it will be a day or so before we see them.
Mary
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I love daffodils just because they are the first to bloom. I seem to have them every where as I have to keep moving them as they spread and hang over our sidewalk every year. Which Carolina do you live in? We are in Ohio and ours are just starting to bloom.
Morning Carole… OH my, you said it so well about the time change! I hate it. I so enjoy your ‘nature’ pictures.. You have such a variety of birds. I love your squirrels, they are my favorite, I have lots here and it keeps me busy keeping their feeders w/sunflower seeds. I’ve tried the little ‘sandwiches’ like you do, but no takers..lolo I need to get a new birdfeeder because the squirrels raid it all the time. I think one like you have would be great. Have a great week.
You have such beautiful flowers in your garden, Carole. I see a lot of daffodils popping up here in Waynesville but not much else. I have new hydrangeas that need to be pruned but haven’t had the nerve to do it yet.
Hi
I visited your site. Wonderful garden. Beautiful your garden flowers. Nice plantation . Nice you doing work.
I’m a daylight savings fan so I’m glad for the time change — but I agree with you; I wish they’d just stick with it! The back and forth in frustrating. Meanwhile, your garden is looking quite wonderful! So many pretty spring blooms!
You must be a bit warmer in NC than we in southern WV. My daffodils are just now blooming. I only have the singles (my mother-in-law always called them “cups and saucers”) but your doubles are beautiful. No crocus or hyacinths up yet but just yesterday I saw hints of green on my weeping willow. I keep looking at my asparagus bed but no sign of new life yet….I am totally ready for spring and I agree with you 100% on keeping one time and stop changing it. I thought last last year was going to be the end of daylight savings time! We live in farm country and the farmers here don’t like the change either. I’m waking up at the same time—only the clock says it’s an hour later. Your photos are always so lovely!
I really enjoy your flowers each spring, thanks for sharing them Carole!
All the flowers are lovely, but I do like seeing the crocus appear.
I dislike time change….. We go back to normal this weekend…… It’s so dark in the morning at present…..
I’m a morning person so really struggling with this……