Springtime

Behold, my friends, the spring is come; the earth has gladly received the embraces of the sun, and we shall soon see the results of their love! -- attributed to Sitting Bull

Spring doesn't officially arrived until March 20, but I decided that spring came to my little corner of the world yesterday. It has been freakishly warm in northern Illinois for mid March.  The grass is beginning to green.  And yesterday several things came together in the universe to create SPRING.

back door pansies

First, Lowe's began selling pansies -- two weeks before they originally planned to stock them.  I know the original date because I am like a drug addict for pansies in the spring.  I've been calling everywhere to find my pansy fix.  Pansies are probably my favorite flower.  Yesterday I stopped by Lowe's to make a return, and [trumpets sound] there were pansies!  Two days before, a garden center employee had all but wagged a finger at me as she told me that it was still too early and uncertain to plant pansies. Luckily, someone above her in the chain didn't agree.  Many years I focus on purples and blues with maybe some yellow mixed in.  This year I went for the whole cornucopia of color.  I put my pansies in pots all by themselves.  I've heard the whole thing about a thriller, a spiller, and Phyllis Diller (ok, not Phyllis Diller), but I really like a simple, one-flower look.  They look a little bedraggled now from the transplanting, but they'll be gorgeous in no time.  That is, if the squirrels leave them alone.  I went out a couple of hours after planting and some of the back door pansies were already on the ground.  A squirrel had dug in to search for a nut he must have buried there in the fall.

front porch pansies

Second, while I was potting up my pansies, I saw my first pair of robins.  Robins are a sure sign of spring.  The house finches and mourning doves are also back.  Third, the forsythia buds are getting fat and heavy, ready to burst into bloom before too long.

forsythia buds

Yep, more pansies, but see the
cocoa shell mulch behind the pot?

I continued with yard clean-up yesterday, raking and bagging up leaves and debris. After raking walnut leaf stems from the side of the garage, I decided to reward myself with some cocoa.  No, not to drink.  I had half a bag of cocoa shell mulch left over from last year, so I spread it on the hosta bed by the garage.  I think I've mentioned cocoa mulch before, but it is worth talking about again.  Honey child, I do love cocoa mulch! Even the leftover mulch released the faint aroma of chocolate.  I'll need to pick up some fresh bags; then I can just stand by the flower beds and breathe.


Finally, my earliest daffodils opened up.  For me, that makes it official.  If the daffodils are blooming, it must be spring.

Ah, spring!