Monday, April 01, 2013

Signs of Spring

Even though we're still sitting at 0'C and there have been snow flakes whipping past my window all day ... thankfully nothing settled on the ground ... I have witnessed some Signs of Spring in the garden.

 
Snowdrops!  Such cute little nodding flowers :)
 
 Last spring my sisters and I had to sell my parents' house.  This was not a house that I had any feelings for, as they only lived there for two years.  My mom had brought to this house as many of her favourite plants as she could from her old place, and put them into her garden. 
 
So in the springtime before the house was sold my sisters and I dug up and removed as many of the perennials as we could out of Mom's garden, and transplanted them to our own gardens.  I didn't know what many of them were, but will find out this spring.  I didn't know I had the snowdrops until this past week.  I very nice surprise indeed!  No wonder Mom loved these little flowers as they are the first glimpse of spring here in my backyard. 
 
Next to show themselves are the iris.  I believe these will be purple and mauve, although not all of them flowered last year.  I hope they do better this year and recover from all this transplanting!
 
 
 Springtime was Mom's favourite time of year.  One of our farming neighbour's had a small wood in the midst of his fields and Mom loved to walk through this little woods looking for signs of spring.  Known to us as "Jack King's Wood", there was a pretty little pond in the woods, which helped supply the tiny flowers with water, and it was also a great place to listen to the tree frogs at dusk.  Here I am (foreground) with brother and sister admiring some tiny flower (can't remember the name of it now), which grew wild. 
 
 
 
My favourite woodland flower is the trillium, which is also a springtime flower.  We have gone camping in May and the woods have been a carpet of these beautiful white flowers.  The next shot is of trilliums, but from a previous year.   There is even a rare red trillium at the bottom of the shot.
 

Trilliums are Ontario's provincial flower, and it is against the law to pick a wild trillium here (although many people who live here don't know either of those facts!).   Since they are a wild flower, they don't transplant easily into a city garden.  Mom did transplant some of her trilliums from out of the woods and had them growing up beside our house in amongst some giant ferns.  It was a lovely woodland garden :)   And here is what they look like en masse!  Amazing! 

 
I hope there are signs of spring squeezing up through the ground where you live.  Have a wonderful day!
 Thanks for stopping by!
 
Wendy

31 comments:

  1. Gasp! You have spring pushing up through the earth already?! I am downright envious. So beautiful that you brought some of your mother's appreciation of nature to your own gardens.

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    1. It's all thanks to that giant body of water I live next to moderating our land ;) I'm glad we dug everything up because the next owners leveled the gardens.

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  2. Those photos are beautiful Wendy! Especially the last one! It must lovely to picnic or wander through the woods when it looks like that!
    Sarah xx

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  3. Oh Wendy those garden images are beautiful! How awesome to have sweet surprises from your mom's garden like those snowdrops!!! Enjoy the spring and hopefully the snow is done!!! And I wanted to tell you I received your package today!!!! Wow!!! Is that doll you made the most fantastic doll I have ever seen!! I love it!!! It reminds me so much of the miniature wooden elves my grandmother used to have. I will cherish it! Your talents are amazing!!! Thank you! Do you have an etsy shop?

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    1. I'm glad the package arrived and that you like the doll so much. No I don't have an etsy shop.

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  4. Hey Wendy, so nice to have plants from your mum's garden growing in yours.
    I did the same years ago and have some very special bulbs and plants and they are such a lovely reminder of mum's gardening skills.
    I always feel somewhat envious when people blog about walking through woods and seeing carpets of Springtime flowers, would love to be able to do that. Although the Australian bush is very different and there are interesting plants etc. it seems a harsher environment. Would love to wander through some woods, picnic and enjoy the birdlife......

    CLaire :]

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    1. Claire, the flowers and plants that you show on your blog are SO exotic!! Such intricate and amazing flowers, really. Our wild flowers only seem to be abundant in the springtime, but it is a pretty sight. And I remember you mentioned about having various plants of your mom's in the garden too. It really is a lovely, continuous reminder of our mom's.

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  5. Those Trilliums are so pretty!

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    1. Yes, they are, I'll have to remember to keep a watch out for them this year, but not having any woods near me where the trilliums grow could prove difficult!

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  6. ~ Hello,again, Wendy....
    I smiled once more at this nostalgic post..
    I did the same with my Mums plants....The Magnolia and Clematis... are special!
    But it is when the 'Lily of the Valley blooms in May...That brings back the sweetest memories for me..Mum gave me a small cutting and now it means the world to me...~Actually Mum used to take small cuttings from all her walks out with her dear little Shetland collie, Jamie.....She would have small bunches around the home in tea cups and leaves and feathers....And now I wonder Why I
    do these things too! hehe.....Lovely photographs as always capturing all the magic of your youth!Those beautiful flowers that haven't to be picked look so much like butterflies....With 'Twinkles' **** Maria x

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    1. I can't tell you the number of times over so many years that my mom tried and tried to push her plants into my hands. I turned her down a lot of times. Why?! I just wasn't much into gardening when I was younger and things didn't do well for me (neglected most likely). So now the few plants I did bring over I treasure very much!! My mom used to collect all those little gems from her walks too ... feathers, a branch of flowering lilac, etc. ... sweet little sprigs to brighten the kitchen :)

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  7. Your snowdrops are lovely, Wendy, and it's so nice that you got them from your mother's garden. Flowers with a story really are garden treasures :)
    Love the photos of the trilliums, what a wonderful sight they must be in the woods in spring!

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    1. I like that line "flowers with a story ..." wouldn't that be a nice phrase to paint on a piece of driftwood for the garden ;) The trilliums are amazing, and I hope to catch sight of them this year. But it's tricky as they bloom for only about a week, so you have to be in the woods at just the right time!

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  8. Lovely Wendy. I think transplanting flowers and plants from a loved ones garden is one of the most wonderful ways to honour their memory. I did the same with my Grandmother's Agapanthus and after she passed away i loved the fact I had some of her favourite flowers in our own garden. I ave never heard of Trillium before - they look stunning en masse like that! Mel x

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    1. I agree it is a wonderful tribute to someone special ... especially when they loved gardening SO much!! I sorted through my parents' slides recently, and even when my mom was very young she had so many pictures of flowers! She was a garden gnome through and through! So to see her plants come up out of the ground again in spring is heartwarming :)

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  9. Lovely Wendy. I think transplanting flowers and plants from a loved ones garden is one of the most wonderful ways to honour their memory. I did the same with my Grandmother's Agapanthus and after she passed away i loved the fact I had some of her favourite flowers in our own garden. I ave never heard of Trillium before - they look stunning en masse like that! Mel x

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  10. I love snow drops because they bloom so early here ~ February. I am going to plant some more this fall because their early flowers. I don't think I have ever seen a bed of wild trilliums like that. I brought a purple columbine home from my grandma's house that I always liked but when we moved to our new house, I forgot to bring it with me :(

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    1. My brother is in Victoria, and he always likes to tell me when the flowers start blooming in February too. We had snow again today ... SNOW!! It is SO cold out there (-8'C + windchill). I hope nothing else comes up until it's warmer. I'm sorry you didn't move your columbine to your new place :(

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  11. good morning-oh I love the first signs of spring too. My mom lived on the family farm til my brother needed to move her into town near him-across the street from him. and he did the same moved allot of flowers and made an area he called mothers garden. now she can still visit her pretty flowers.

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    1. What a perfect solution for your mother ... to have her independence, a son across the street for assistance, and her own garden still thriving! I love that :)

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  12. There's a wooded area near our house that I walk through every May with my son, while husband is away for his guys weekend. It is carpeted with Trilliums, both white and red. As tempted as I am to snag a few, I never do - I was brought up with strict warnings against taking trilliums!
    I keep looking for signs of spring in my garden - I think I may have some around one corner I never get to... must go look tonight - thanks for the reminder!

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    1. And thank you for YOUR reminder that trilliums are out in May! I wasn't sure. I've seen them up north in May, and thought they may be out earlier down here. Good luck in your search for spring .. isn't it just bracing(!) outside today?!

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  13. It might be cold but it looks like spring might be arriving for you! I've been out doing a little gardening today...hooray! :) x

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  14. Hooray!! Hooray!! I don't think I can even get a spade into that frozen ground yet! Makes you wonder how those little snowdrops do it. My cheeks have gotten windburnt today it's so cold :\

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  15. What a fun surprise it will be seeing your mom's plants coming up! I have seen a couple little flowers poking up their heads, same as you. I'm holding out for more sunshine though! :)

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    1. More sunshine today ... and they 'SAY' much warmer too :)

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  16. When I was little we used to walk in the forest near us when it looked like that and I was always convinced I was some sort of magical princess because of it! You have literally transported me back to my childhood Wendy, thank you xx

    Spring hasn't sprung here just yet... but i reckon it's on its way! Have a great day, Hazel x

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    1. What a wonderful childhood memory Hazel :) I haven't seen you for a while, and hope all is well with you.

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  17. Gorgeous trilliums, like a white version of the bluebell woods here!

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    1. Yes! I was thinking of your bluebells when I was searching for this photo. I've never seen the bluebells in person though.

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