Warm Temperatures and a Honeybee

Bright Sun + Crocus = Springtime

Today we had warm temperatures and sunshine.  That's something that we haven't had in a while.  I did some garden clean-up, turned over the vegetable garden plot with Joseph's help.  I was delighted to see the abundance of earthworms in the soil.  Then proceeded to plant 2 1/2 rows of onions.

Honeybee at work.

As i wandered around the garden i thought "what i wouldn't give to see a honeybee" and lo and behold, there she was.  At first she was really working over the aconite and ignoring the crocus.  I moved the chicken wire cage that i had over the crocus (protection from deer and bunnies) in preparation of taking some photos.  The honeybee instantly went for the crocus.  I don't know what the chicken wire did to deter the bee.

Hovering

Feels almost like Spring.

Today the sun came out.  Most of the snow has gone.  The crocus made it through the snow and today they bloomed.  This morning I was concerned to see hoof prints in the garden.  I was surprised to see that the deer had moved the chicken wire cages that i had over these crocus.  But they were well-behaved and did not eat them.  I'm hoping that maybe tomorrow i will catch the crocus blooming in the sunshine... with perhaps a honey bee or two.

Blooming in purple... the delightful crocus!

Oh no, not again...

and snow blankets the region...  I hope that my crocus are holding up well under the weight of the snow.  They were almost ready to bloom.  I opted to go out and make some big snow balls... rolling them through the yard leaving bare grass in their wake.  I was delighted to later look out and see a robin foraging in the paths of bare grass.

Four or five inches of snow fell overnight with more coming tonight.

Heavy, wet March snow.

It's been a while!

I've let my gardening blog go for far too long... but i hadn't realized that it's been an entire year.  Last March was much different than this year.  We continue to be in a long stretch of cold weather punctuated with snow storms.  We are forecast to have another snow event tonight dropping 5-8 inches of the white stuff on my emerging garden.  In the meantime, the snowdrops have been in bloom and the winter aconite continues to spread with its cheerful yellow flowers.  We have seen one honeybee at the aconite.  I wonder how it will be for them this year.

The sun came out yesterday.  Not something that we see very often and it can be a bit jarring on the senses after so much grey weather.  Here's the overall view of the garden taken 03-23.

Garden Progress- March 17, 2012

Garden Progress- March 17, 2012, a photo by pjslomer on Flickr.

Unseasonably warm temperatures (30 degrees above norma)l for two weeks time is catapulting the garden through its spring flowering. I vascilate between doing my early gardening clean-up and being fearful that we will get hit by a snow storm that will have me wishing that i had left some protection for the plants.

Yesterday i did end up clearing away some debris and ended up with another by-product of a mild winter... a tick... gotta be ultra diligent about ticks this year.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving Flickr Friends!, a photo by pjslomer on Flickr.

Jim, this one is for you.

Garden Progress, November 12, 2011

Garden Progress, November 12, 2011, a photo by pjslomer on Flickr.