BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: GUEST,Jim Martin
Date: 25 Mar 08 - 08:45 AM

Heard my first Skylark of the year just outside the house in a field whistling his little heart out with his mate following, but he didn't climb very high in the sky as they do later on.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Bobert
Date: 25 Mar 08 - 09:03 AM

Janie,

Glad the Linten Rose is doing well for you... We also have two crimson Linten Roses and they are just starting to make babies so we'll have some of them available this year...

Also, palmonaria??? Can't see how you could loose them unless a vole ate the roots... They are very hardy...

We went away for Easter and returned late yesterday to snow... Just flurries but it's 27 degrees out there now... It is supposed to get up to 54 today with 60's tomorrow so I think that spring has sprung and more and more stuff will be up every week...

Mushroom hunting season is less than a month away... Yumm...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 25 Mar 08 - 11:33 AM

A busy little flock of cedar wax wings visited my back yard this morning, coming and going in the old hackberry, dressing it up very nicely for a few minutes.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Bee
Date: 25 Mar 08 - 11:41 AM

Cool, gnu! Crows have pretty intricate lives, and it's always a little spooky to watch their behaviour in huge flocks. I once witnessed what I swear was a 'council meeting', behind some sand dunes. Big flock of crows on the ground, about a hundred. 100 feet away, about twenty crows. All the crows were 'talking'. Every five minutes or so, one crow would fly to the larger group, confer, then fly back to the small group. Always wondered what they were 'talking' about.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: gnu
Date: 25 Mar 08 - 02:05 PM

Obviously, that particular crow was a shop steward and there was a grievance.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: black walnut
Date: 25 Mar 08 - 09:57 PM

I saw a flock of cedar waxwings this morning too - eating last year's fruit off the neighbour's tree. Beautiful!

~b.w.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: maeve
Date: 25 Mar 08 - 10:37 PM

The snow is still 2-5' deep in most places in our part of Maine. However, a southerly-facing bed has lost the last of its snow so I cleared away the road debris and last year's stalks today. Daffodils have emerged, Honesty seedlings have survived, and the tips of daylily leaves are pale green against the dark earth around them.

Chickadees sing their spring song and mourning doves are calling back and forth. Sweet maple sap drip drip drips into our collecting jugs.

Spring!

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Janie
Date: 25 Mar 08 - 11:07 PM

Tweren't the cold what did the pulmonaria in, Bobert. Twas the dreadful drought. I'm taking inventory this spring. Wasn't sure late summer and early fall last year as to what just went dormant early and what croaked.

Mowed the grass (or rather, the weeds and wildflowers) for the first time yesterday. Should have been done at least 10 days earlier, and it was quite a job. The lumbar spine hasn't forgiven me yet. The yard was full of purple deadnettle, common speedwell, chickweed, and the like. Now it looks bare and brownish again.

There are places in my yard that are usually thickly blanketed with white and purple violets this time of year. The drought has been so deep that it has really stunted them and their spread also.

The holly trees are blooming now and the buzz of honey bees working their sweet-scented blossoms fills the air as thickly as the floral aroma on mild days. Isn't it great that tiny, insignificant flowers often have the headiest smell?

I've only seen Cedar Waxwings once in my life. A large flock came through one early spring morning, a number of years ago, stormed a large Eastern Red Cedar, stripping it of it's blue berries in what seemed like no time at all, then headed on north. I was quite taken with them and have watched hopefully but in vain for them every spring since.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: Escapee
Date: 26 Mar 08 - 12:13 AM

I saw three turkey vultures today. Not as cute as robins, but we have a few robins around all winter in northern Ohio. Vultures are real spring birds. The goldfinches are getting brighter every day.
Hang on, everybody! We can do this. Just a few more weeks. The walleyes are in the river, can the white bass be far behind?
SKP

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 26 Mar 08 - 12:28 AM

We have year-round vultures and hawks down here in Texas. There are turkeys in the woods near the house, but they're cagey, we don't see them very often. The come a little way out of the woods to feed then head back. Amazing how such big birds can hide so well.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: black walnut
Date: 27 Mar 08 - 12:11 PM

I can really tell it's spring when I don't like my winter clothes anymore. If only I didn't have to still wear them....

~b.w.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: gnu
Date: 27 Mar 08 - 02:25 PM

It's +1C and sunny!

The ice crust on the snow is about 150mm thick, so it's easy to walk on the 1 - 2m of snow. The maple slurpup camps are bustling. The streets are chock full of potholes and ruts. Pedestrians are covered with muddy water from being splashed. Kids are slipping off the 2 - 3m "cliffs" that the big snowblowers made when making room for more snow and falling on the ice, breaking and fracturing this and that. Beer bottles and cans are poking up through the snow in the country road ditches like spring flowers. Vehicle floormats and carpets are thawing out and giving off that aroma of a winter's worth of crud and crap.... YES! spring is in the air!

(Valid only from noon to dusk. Not available in all locations. Some restrictions may apply. Check local weather conditions.)

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: GUEST,Jim Martin
Date: 28 Mar 08 - 09:23 AM

"Beer bottles and cans popping up ......"

Sounds just like Ireland (apart from the snow/ice)!

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: black walnut
Date: 28 Mar 08 - 09:49 AM

I spied one squished white crocus near the front sidewalk. There's too much snow to know where else to put our garbage and recyling cans.
The cedar waxwings are gone now. They and the robins stripped the tree across the street totally bare in about 3 days.
Where are the red-winged blackbirds? Have they crossed the border yet?

~b.w.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Becca72
Date: 28 Mar 08 - 10:16 AM

It was 50° yesterday...today it's friggin' snowing. I quit.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: gnu
Date: 28 Mar 08 - 10:43 AM

You can't quit now!

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 28 Mar 08 - 11:11 AM

6 inches of snow and counting! My man had to go get more wood from Treehugger Farms- we'd just unloaded a huge pile of green cordwood but that won't keep us warm today, so he's off to get a Jeepload of kiln fired stuff. Might as well throw dollar bills into the stove...

but I saw robins in the village yesterday!

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: curmudgeon
Date: 28 Mar 08 - 11:25 AM

On Wednesday, I was starting to believe in Spring. Low 50s, sun, got a lot of wood losed from the ice. Now its snowing, again; all the loose firewood is buried. We've all but given up on trying to be warm - Tom

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: Metchosin
Date: 28 Mar 08 - 11:58 AM

Here's an early sign of spring here. I'm sure it will clear up in about an hour and the sun will be shining again. Its been doing this off and on all week.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: Alice
Date: 28 Mar 08 - 12:18 PM

12 Robins in the backyard trees yesterday morning. The ground is frozen and covered with snow. I hope they find enough to eat.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: gnu
Date: 28 Mar 08 - 01:28 PM

I have discovered what the ???'s in Mum's flower bed are. Crocuses. The flowers have formed on several and they are ready to bloom anytime. But, I expect they will wait at least until after the snow which is just getting under way.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 28 Mar 08 - 02:09 PM

You might be surprised. I've seen crocuses in the snow before. They're tough little flowers.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: black walnut
Date: 28 Mar 08 - 06:17 PM

Yea spring! I'm so glad you started this thread, Kat. I'm sorry that I've been whining so much about our long, long winter. I went out for a walk this afternoon and the snowbanks are indeed receding. There are bits of tulip, daffodil and crocus showing tips of their varied foliage, and robins are finding bare earth to go looking for worms. I didn't even need to wear boots today!

~b.w.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: dwditty
Date: 28 Mar 08 - 07:18 PM

Last night when I let the dogs out, I heard the peepers in the pond out back for the first time this year. A sure sign.

dw

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Susan A-R
Date: 28 Mar 08 - 08:26 PM

It's snowing, There's two feet of snow in my front yard, It's supposed to get down around 10 tonight, maybe colder tomorrow night. I had ice build-up on my porch roof and have to rip out walls in the down stairs apartment, There's water, ice and muck in my driveway.   I don't believe it's coming. I have lost faith. (well, at least there's muck, maybe there's hope.)

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: Charley Noble
Date: 28 Mar 08 - 09:50 PM

"Two feet of snow"?

That is excessive! And here I was whining about a mere 4 inches in our driveway in Maine.

Poor little crocus!

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Janie
Date: 28 Mar 08 - 10:29 PM

The maples are leafing out here, the stems on the larkspur are beginning to elongate, as are the poppies. Baby house finches in the beaded candle sconces on the front porch. Peepers are scarce due to drought. Lots of ornamental trees in bloom. High today was 79F, but it is going to cool down tonight and be mid 50's tomorrow. Thought we were going to get a bit of rain this evening, but it passed us by. I"m not sure which is best (or worse), snow drifts the end of March, or days and days of 90F+ in August.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: gnu
Date: 29 Mar 08 - 05:16 AM

Janie. Have I got some real estate for you! The best of both worlds. -30 to 100F no problem. As I type this, I hear the beep-beep-beep of the salt truck backing up on my dead end street. In two months, I will be installing the air conditioners.... maybe sooner.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Susan A-R
Date: 29 Mar 08 - 09:20 AM

Janie, we only get those 90 days in June, July and early August, and not too many of them. It wouldn't be so painful, but I was just down in VA and NC where there are daffodils, forcythia, pear and tulip trees all blooming like mad. I refuse to wear boots any longer, a decision I may well regret as all of this stuff melts, but I get tired of feeling so darned HEAVY.   

I do smell the smoke from some local sugaring operations now and then. Although the maple sugar season is spotty and really late this year, I'm told the sugar content on what they are getting is amazing.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Janie
Date: 29 Mar 08 - 09:55 AM

Oh Susan - next time you are in NC, or in VA near the NC border, let me know you are coming!

I'm looking out my front window at pink and red tulips, blue dutch iris, columbine and creamy daffodils.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Bobert
Date: 29 Mar 08 - 10:32 AM

The daffodils are magnificent this mornin'... Some are in full bloom and others just behind...

Lotta stuff wigglin' in the woods gardens... The yellow trillium patch has expanded to what looks like 6 plants...

A little tooth wart that hitch hiked fown from Wes Ginny is up and will bloom today or tomorrow...

We are growing about 600 azaleas from cuttings in the barn and some of them have actually bloomed!!!

The wax wings get here in 3 weeks for their one week stop over...

Junkos are thinning out and heading northward...

We've seen a couple of ducks on the pond that hang out every year for a month or so and live off tadpoles...

That's about it... Oh, the Linten roses are sooooooo beautiful...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Janie
Date: 29 Mar 08 - 02:18 PM

Just noticed a bit of bloom on the surviving bleeding heart. The dogwoods are just starting to pale. The catbirds are back.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: black walnut
Date: 29 Mar 08 - 02:26 PM

2 of the MOST ADORABLE little white crocuses you've ever seen are in my front garden near the sidewalk - surrounded by dried leaves and dormant wooley thyme. People walking by sometimes stop and stare at them. Stunned. Flowers. Life. Emerging. It cannot be!

~b.w.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: scouse
Date: 30 Mar 08 - 06:09 AM

Spring has indeed arrived here in dear "Cloggieland." The swan who nests in the same place every year has been sittin' on nine EGGS for at least two weeks now!!!!
As Aye,
Phil.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Janie
Date: 30 Mar 08 - 04:21 PM

fuzzy looking lavendar colored flowerbuds - about 2 inches long - on the wisteria across the street.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Cats
Date: 30 Mar 08 - 04:28 PM

My tadpoles in the pond are looking very healthy. I have marsh marigolds out as well. Felt quite spring like today while I was pottering in the garden in a t shirt!

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Peace
Date: 30 Mar 08 - 04:33 PM

Spring has arrived. Only four inches of snow last night. Summer is just around the corner.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 31 Mar 08 - 09:44 AM

This morning was THE morning to throw the blankets off with the realization that overnight all of the covers went from adequate to being way too much. A warm front moved through and we will consider switching to the AC. I'll use ceiling fans for a while before I turn it on, but it is a warm and muggy morning.

Guest with no name and little connection to the actual thread, if you don't choose a name to use consistently and make an effort to have something to do with the threads you post to, you'll be deleted. Fair warning.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: ragdall
Date: 01 Apr 08 - 02:12 AM

I saw this Robin perched on the top of a Spruce tree beside the Yellowhead Highway, today.

Okay, it's not a Robin, but I think it must be a sign of Spring, anyway? I was so excited to see it! I still am. I never expected to be able to photograph one of these.

If I don't get credit for the bird, I do have some crocuses in bloom. They're my earliest sign of Spring in the garden.

rags

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: gnu
Date: 01 Apr 08 - 04:20 AM

Yo Rags!!!! Long time no see. BEAUTIFUL pics!!!!

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: katlaughing
Date: 01 Apr 08 - 12:56 PM

For those of you still waiting for signs of spring...a little fun:


Happy Spring!

Click on the link below,
You'll get a black page.

Then click your mouse anywhere on the page
see what happens.
Better yet, click and or drag your mouse
all over the page.
Or just hold it in one spot.

LINK

Enjoy!

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Bee
Date: 01 Apr 08 - 02:55 PM

Kat, that's lovely. In my Favourites and emailed to my sister, who's just as snowbound as i am.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Cats
Date: 01 Apr 08 - 03:14 PM

Today I had a slow worm on the step in the garden basking in the sun. The first slowly of the year.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: gnu
Date: 01 Apr 08 - 04:00 PM

I have the office window open and I hear blackbirds singing!

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Susan A-R
Date: 01 Apr 08 - 07:02 PM

It was 50 here today, and lots more mud and bare spots!! If we get more of this, it'll go fast, and there will be spring soon, but who knows. Down into the 20s again tonight and cool tomorrow, but great sugaring season weather. Good stuff too, but expect to pay $40 a gallon for it.

Janie, I was travelling with Mom and my sister and it was too hectic to put anything else in. I do get down to Charlottesville to play with David Scheim now and then and will let you know when I'm in that neck of the woods again.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Bobert
Date: 01 Apr 08 - 07:24 PM

Hit 72 degrees here in Page Co. Virginia.... Our farm is on a ridge that runs off another ridge called "Tanners Ridge"....

Today the "blood root" bloomed big white blooms with yellow centers... It is one of the first of the Virginia wildflowers to bloom each spring... "Twin leaf" has decided to make an apppearance...

Two ducks on the pond as we speak so the tadpoles will get thined out....

Today was a day for moving plants... Yeah, every gardener knows that somwetimes things don't work out and moving is the answer... We moved an oakleaf hydranga, a rodo, a grand blande boxwood and an very unusual ivy that frow columnal but does not spread... The dear feasted on it this past winter so qwe figured we'd bring up closer to the house and give it a ***promotion*** which means it is going to get a prime spot...

That's all from here...

B:)

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Janie
Date: 01 Apr 08 - 07:52 PM

Bobert, you sure make me miss the hills and mountains. Bet you will be seeing toothwort, trout lilies, spring beauties, etc., before too long. These dry pine woods around here that were grong tobacco just 50 years ago aren't conducive to those lovely ephemerals.

We have had enough rain to actually matter over the last 4 or 5 days. It looks like some of the species tulips have made it after all. The snowball vibernum is budding out.

Thinking I would have been gone by now, I didn't plant pansies and such last fall. Those who did have lovely displays in pots and in beds now.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Bobert
Date: 01 Apr 08 - 08:22 PM

Yeah, Janie, "Tooth Wart", that little invasive spring wildflower is up... It wasn't here when we moved her but hitch-hiked in with some of the other some 550 plants we moved here from Wes Ginny... Guerss the sumabich is here to stay...

Forgot "Windflower" which is in bloom...

We planted yer poppies but nuthing as yet??? But we are really not familair with their growth habits...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemisphere
From: Janie
Date: 01 Apr 08 - 09:38 PM

They take about 30 days to germinate, and will not come up through mulch. If you didn't get them seeded by the end of February you may not get much. Never fear. I'll have more seeds this year, even if I have to come by here under cover of darkness to harvest them. Even if only a few germinate, let 'em bloom, harvest a pod or two and let the rest self-sow. I started with two plants and have a yard full now.

The serviceberry tree is leafing out. The mahonia has bloomed and gone, the peonies are about 6 inches high. The first crop of chickweed is going to seed. Tulips are at their peek. Flowering almonds are in full bloom. The pecans, which are very late to bud, are starting to look a bit fuzzy at the end of the branches. Hope they don't get slammed by a hard late frost, like they did last year.

The squirrels are looking starved and scrawny.

Subject: RE: BS: Early Signs of Spring - northern hemispher
From: Jeri
Date: 01 Apr 08 - 09:45 PM

It snowed yesterday. It was in the 60s today and right now, it's 53°F and I have a couple windows open. I can see earth (not at the moment because it's dark) and I have hope.