Sunshine in a bucket!

It is Spring in my garden finally. 

The only proof I have of it are the daffodils, violets and a few
grape hyacinths starting.

Some of the tree's buds are opening up and the buds on the lilacs
are swelling bigger by the day.

I have hundreds of daffodils starting to bloom, but the only variety blooming
right now is this one.
I have three or four different ones planted and I don't remember which
are which. I used to know the name of everything I had in the garden but
now I'm lucky to remember just the varieties of my roses.

I do keep garden journals and can look plants up if I need to, but seldom
do unless I want to order more of something.
Thank goodness that never happens, because the journals
are in crazy shape.

I keep those little plastic labels that come with the plants I buy
and so each year's journal is bulging


crazy gardener----crazy garden journals

This particular variety is very fragrant so I cut several and have
placed them all over the house.

After several days they start to dry in the vase.
I love how they take on a papery look like these below.

This bouquet in the reflection of my mirror is also drying and are softer in color
than when they are fresh.

They have almost completely dried although it's hard to tell in these photos.
They will hold this color for about a year.

It has been wonderful to get out in the garden this week.
I feel like I walked ten miles today pruning, watering and digging
and boy did it feel awesome!!!!

Sweet little violets.

How can one pick just a couple of photos to show of these pretty little
violets when it is the only thing blooming in one's garden??????
.

I have a lot of these violets in the garden and so yesterday I dug a few up
to bring in the house and take some photos of.
I hope you will enjoy some of the photos I took of them.

Things in the garden are starting to emerge from the ground and the buds on the trees 

are getting fuller by the day. 

I'm getting excited to be outside more and even get into the hard work of 

weeding and dressing the flower beds. I have a couple of plans for the garden but

 I'm trying to hold myself back as far as creating too much more work for myself.

I think I'm at my limit as to what I can do in a day.

While I love to garden, my son's care comes first and then there are all the 

other things I love to do. Last year it became apparent to me that

maybe, just maybe, I was biting off a little more than I should. 

I would like this Summer to be a little calmer so I can spend more time with 

my children and my extended family.

I really want to make another couple of garden beds, I even made out plans over the winter

 but I am going to re-think it.

The wonderful thing about gardening is that there is always next year...and the next...

and the next!

I think I will put the garden plans aside this year and make of list of 

summer activities that don't require garden gloves.

It might include smelling the roses in some of my friend's gardens

and going on a few shopping trips with my daughters :)

and I can't believe I'm saying this,
but I think I even want to go camping more!

WOW...that even surprises me!

**************
I want to take this opportunity to thank all of you who read my blog and
leave such wonderful words for me. I don't think anyone can know what it means to me,
but you enrich my life so much and
I feel your friendship and thoughtfulness
and am so grateful.

many hugs from me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Coming up roses.

What a crazy month March was!
We had snow, then sun, then snow again---
over and over and over!
We also had a new baby join our family.
Little Evelynn Lorraine arrived on the 16th
and is being loved by everyone.
We had five birthdays, Spring break, Easter
and the flu that decided to hang around awhile.

Now it's April and Spring's here and we are all healthy again!

I saw a pretty collage posted on Cowparsley the other day and thought it was
was so pretty and then noticed that one of the photos was mine :)
It was taken from the site of Peony and Sage.

I had taken a few photos for Kimberley at Peony and Sage with some

fabrics she had sent to me.
She has posted a few of them on her website and blog.
I realized that I hadn't posted any of them on my own blog yet so I thought
I would share a couple here.
If you would like to see more you can go to her site and see what
she has shared there and on her blog.

Then I made a pretty pink collage of my own with some of the photos I have been snapping of
the dried rose strings and other rosy things.

I love the little ceramic turquoise berry basket given to me by a dear friend.

I can't seem to STOP making these rose strings! They are everywhere!

I made a few hearts with some of the scraps of Peony and Sage linen leftover
from the pieces I was sent. The fabrics have been sewn up into other
projects that I will share another time. In a previous post I did share the curtains
that I had made already. I love Kimberley's fabrics!

Speaking of roses.
I picked these up at the market the other day and have really enjoyed
their lovely pinky-ness.

Hope you fill your Spring days with a little pink goodness too!

Hugs from here...