Look at what popped up, today!

[Siwsan]

My very first Spring bloom of 2018 is the Grape Hyacinth. This is the latest I can ever remember with still no Crocus or Daffodils, but I'll take what ever Mother Nature is willing to give me.

[brewens]

1. I had those pop just a couple days ago. North central Idaho here. It is way late here too.

We had a pretty cold three weeks a few weeks back and it still hasn't warmed up to quite what it usually is.

[magicarpet]

2. Oh my God a flower... was not sure we would ever see again....

..... actually I saw two gold finches at the bird feeder yesterday. Still that gray and very dull yellow feather coloring. But soon to be all covered in their bright canary yellow Spring/Summer collection of feathered outfits.

[safeinOhio]

3. About 60 miles from you

and I’ve had 20 to 30 Robbins in my yard the last few days. Can’t wait to get my boat out on the Bay.

[Siwsan]

4. I've been seeing Robins for a while, but still haven't seen or heard any geese

I am so beyond ready for Spring!

[llmart]

6. Really?

Geese don't really leave, so surprised you haven't seen any.

Saw the first red winged blackbirds about four weeks ago. To me they are the true harbingers of spring in the bird world. I've had daffodils up out of the ground for about 3 weeks, but I no longer plant grape hyacinths since they can take over.

Saw four male mallards courting one female on the creek at my nearby metropark today. Can't wait to see the little ducklings. There is nothing that makes me smile more in spring than a mother duck and her parade of new ducklings.

[Siwsan]

8. I saw the first hint of purple in the Crocus buds, this afternoon

My daffs have been up for ages but the buds haven't opened yet. The hyacinth is finally pushing up through the soil. We are going to have some warmer weather, this week, so maybe things will start up.

I'm hoping it gets warm enough for me to get out and clear some flower beds before the yard waste pick up starts next week.

[llmart]

9. It's still a little early for much to be blooming.

Do you ever plant snowdrops? I love those little things and they are always early bloomers, even in Michigan.

[Siwsan]

10. I had some snowdrops but they were 'dug up' during an emergency water pump repair

I hadn't moved them because I thought they were far enough away - I was wrong. I have some pretty little blue flowers, but they haven't popped up, yet, either. It's been a very weird, cold, miserably awful late Winter/early Spring.

This is what I usually see by the first week in April (or so).

[llmart]

11. Beautiful!

I just love daffodils. If you live in a deer area they are one of the few things you can have in springtime. I see you've got some tulips and hyacinths too.

Were the little blue flowers scilla?

[Siwsan]

12. My sister called the 'Blue Star' flowers. I found a photo I took

[llmart]

13. That's probably the common name for them.

But they are scilla. They can spread a lot also. I remember one house I used to pass that had a vast area of them and it was pretty every spring. I've never had them. Now I have a very small lot and do very little gardening. I have my Master Gardener and Advanced Master Gardener certificates and used to have a huge yard with many, many beds. Can't take care of that much any longer. My specialty is Michigan native plants.

[Siwsan]

14. All of these were here when I moved in to the house

It was my aunt and uncle's home, and my uncle loved to create flower beds. Too many, for my taste, especially while I was still working. I've allowed some to go back to the lawn or landscaped them with mulch to cut back on the need to weed.

My big additions have been planting herbs in one of the flower beds, and adding Bleeding Hearts, Bee Balm Lilies and Lavender to where he was growing Hollyhocks. Those have been a real bear to get rid of, that's for sure. And I am desperately trying to thin back the grape hyacinth. Another of my uncle's plants.

I've also started a wildflower bed. My front gardens are always a buzz with bees and a flutter with butterflies.

Thanks for the on the scilla. I would love it if they'd fill in that particular flower bed.

[sl8]

5. Whew! I was afraid this was going to be some elderly gent showing off after taking his first Viagra

[llmart]

7. LOL!

I got a chuckle out of that.