Early Spring in Minnesota

~ Early Spring Snowstorm ~

 

This is what I see outside today...5 inches of new snow from an early Spring snowstorm

(and still it's snowing).

The snowflakes are so large,

and on closer view I see what looks to be more than 50 snowflakes clinging to each other.

 

Spring 2013 seems to be coming very slowly to northern Minnesota.

Many are anxious for warmer weather,

as am I.

 

Upon looking back into my diary

 it is surprising to see that Spring 2012 had made its appearance to us

by the middle of March.

On St. Patrick's Day we were spoiled with temperatures in the middle 70's

no snow on the ground, frog croaking, butterflies fluttering past,

 and Spring birds singing. 

The ice on local lakes had all but melted away 10 days later. 

 

Spring 2013 appears to be weeks away from the sightings written above!

 

Thankfully, even though this winter still persists

the Gardens' Keep greenroom has burst into welcoming shades of green.

Potted geraniums, daylilies, and heirloom iris

have joined the resident sage and primrose plants with blooms

in blues, purples, pinks, red, wine, and yellow,

their sweet scents wafting throughout Dragonfly Cottage.

 

~ Gardens' Keep Greenroom ~

 

The plants in the greenroom are such a welcome sight to eyes weary

of barren trees and winter snow,

and provide reassurance that as the days lengthen and the sun strengthens,

Spring truly is on its way!

 

~ Wishing you sunny, warm, whimsical days ahead! ~

:0)



Spring and Whimsy's Wild Critter Tales

Spring is definitely in the air!

The weather over the weekend was warm and sunny, prompting sounds and sights signaling the change of seasons. Snow was melting quickly becoming very slushy underfoot, and miniature rivulats of water streamed off of roofs, then meandered this way and that, traveling towards unknown destinations.

Songbirds were chirping joys of the warm sunshine, larger birds like the eagle and crow were abundant in the air, and the first of the pussywillows have appeared!

All this brought thoughts of warm days of spring and summer past, and wild things that visit the Whimsy gardens.

~ Spring Robin ~

I had longed to photograph closeup images of robins, but being they are very shy birds this had not been possible, as I lacked a zoom lens for my camera. Wishes do come true however...and...as I am learning through the years...they come true sometimes in the most unexpected ways!

One morning last Spring as I was having my breakfast I heard the strangest tap...tap...tap. I stopped to listen closely. The sound came again...tap...tap...tap. Slowly and cautiously I rose to find the source. It appeared someone was tapping on a window. Who, I wondered, could it be? Tap...tap...tap...it came again. Downstairs I went, following the noise...tap...tap...tap.

Tap...tap...tap.

Tap...tap...tap.

Tap...tap...tap.

Downstairs is a dark mahogany cabinet which is situated against an outside wall that contains a small window. This cabinet seemed to be where the strange tapping noise came from. But what...how...who?

Again came the tap...tap...tap. 

Ever so slowly I opened the creeking cabinet door...and there to my utter amazement stood a bright red breasted Mr. Robin! He was bobbing up and down in an overgrown cedar bush which happened to be in front of the small window. As I watched not more than four feet away, Mr. Robin hopped up to the window and with his beak tap...tap...tapped.

And again tap...tap...tapped.

I slowly backed from his view, then dashed for the camera hoping I hadn't scared him away, and that he would remain long enough for me to snap a few quick images. When would I have this opportunity to be so close again, I wondered!

No fear you see... for the back of the mahogony cabinet had a large rectangular hole cut into it when it was made. This hole I assume is to allow for access to the back of electrical equipment when placed inside. Mr. Robin, looking through the window, thought this to be an ideal nesting spot...a perfect bush in front to hop into and cover the view of said nesting area...a lovely roof overhead...and a beautiful large opening to place said nest into...as long as the cabinet door remainded closed that is! His only issue was...how to get through the window into that perfect nesting area!

Tap...tap...tap.

He was a very insistant Mr. Robin! After a full hour of clicking images, I believed I had all of the angles I could want...for now...closed the cabinet door, and went to continue about my day.

Poor Mr. Robin!

He wanted that spot very, very much! And for two solid weeks continued to tap on the window. I feared that he would waste too many days trying to nest somewhere he could not.

And below was why he desired this nesting spot!

~ Little Red Squirrel ~

Little Red Squirrel is very, very cute...but quite naughty. Scampering here and there, from tree to tree, chattering away if he happens to catch anyone looking his way. Little Red Squirrel and friend litter the ground with pinecones, chewed off pine branches, and in the spring, little eggshells (sometimes Mr. Robin's little blue eggs) and tipped over nests.

But what a cute face on Little Red Squirrel! 

~ Miss Chippy Chipmunk ~

Miss Chippy Chipmunk is another wild Whimsy critter...and she too is quite smart. She has an amazing way of training humans! You see, in the Whimsy gardens there grow blueberry bushes. These blueberry bushes grow fat, delicious blueberries! Each summer I watch and wait as the little green blueberries grow larger and larger...then turn pink, light purple, darker purple, and one more day until...HEY, where did those ripe blueberries go!

Not until last year did Miss Chippy Chipmunk confess she and Mr. Chippy had been enjoying ripe blueberries for breakfast! I had always wondered who was leaving little tooth and tongue marks in the not quite ripe blueberries growing next to the missing ripe berries! Yes, Miss Chippy Chipmunk told me it was her as she scampered excitedly in front of me to reach the bushes, dashed nimbly into them and sat looking at me as if to say..."My blueberries?"

I guess this human took a little longer to train than some. After that day, peanuts appeared morning and evening for Mr. and Miss Chippy...and blueberries were found on the bushes, ripe and unsampled!

Many other wild critters visit the Whimsy gardens, some only once, others more often. What stories will they tell this year?

Mr. Robin did eventually decide that it was past time to move on and find another nesting area. Where? I am not quite sure, but I hope it was quite safe from Little Red Squirrel.

I look forward to more adventures of the wild critters of Whimsy gardens! 



Curls of Nature

~ Soapwort Blossoms ~

~ Campanula ~

~ Hosta Blossoms ~

Nature's beautiful designs are abundant in whimsy.

 I absolutely love whimsical curls...in my art, in nature, in life. One curl in a whisker, a flower, or cloud reminds me to smile and remember the happiness in life. 

~ I wish you a wonderful, whimsical weekend! ~

Lilies of the Morning

~ Elegant Lilies of the Morning ~

Beautiful pink Daylilies greet the morning sun in one of my many gardens.

The Littlest Rose

~ Miniature Heirloom Rose and Friend ~

When trying to capture images of blossoms on the heirloom rose bushes I was gifted many years ago from my grandmother's old gardens, I was surprised when I discovered this little bee taking shelter from the rain under the petals. I do not know the name of these very hardy, extremely thorny bushes, but despite the pain they inflict when weeding around them, I still love them. Their roses are adorable, measuring just a wee bit over 1 inch when fully opened, and their scent is heavenly! Being so small, twas not much shelter for the bee! 

On the First Day of Christmas...

Fountain of the Ancients

Prince of the Kitten Clan


Mossland, Realm of the Fairies


my true love gave to me...a Canon G11 camera. And what an amazing camera it is! The stunning detail it is able to pick up is fantastic! Far more than my naked eye can see! I have been eagerly working my way around inside and out photographing beautiful details of the many moss and lichen covered rocks, trees in varieties of Paper Birch, Pines, Balm of Gilead, & Cedars, late autumn plants & mosses, plus our variety of animals to build up a wonderful image library for future art projects. And when snow falls there will be snow laden trees, snow flakes, snow sparkles, crystal icicles, snowscapes!

The three images above are a small sample of the many captured today.

Fountain of the Ancients is a beloved fountain beautifully aging in the greenroom. Little birds have said it is the ultimate avian bath when placed into the side courtyard during summer.

Prince of the Kitten Clan is of Prince, one very brave and confident kitten who believes he truly is of royal blood, and thus should be treated so by his older cat and human subjects. Silly kitten!

And Mossland, Realm of the Fairies is a soft, tiny, 4 inch island of beautiful green moss covered in a forest of stunning orange red spikes. This beautiful miniature island is growing in the center of an enormous grey boulder forever resting on the pasture's edge.

November Gardening

Rose Fountain

November Jalapeno Peppers

What better way to start a wonderful day than to open a door to greet the warm sun, view the beauty of lush green plants, and inhale the blissful scents of a flowering rose. All this and more from the humble greenroom.

For us the greenroom is a wonderful thing. A Northern Minnesota growing season is very short, so planting too late in an outside garden may create beautiful plants right up to the first killing frost but nothing to harvest. Planting earlier is not often an option either as late frosts, very cold or frozen ground, and even possible snow prevent seeds from germinating and may kill or rot them before the ground warms well enough to promote growth. What the growing season will be is often a mystery (I'm sure our wild creatures could tell us).

Though it is best to grow most of the vegetables in outside gardens, planting a few of the less hardy, those that require more time to mature, and something we may enjoy fresh late in the season, in the greenroom is wonderful . This guarantees some harvest of fresh produce to pick and beautiful green plants to look at well into the cold winter months. Some of these are happily growing as permanent residents in the greenroom's warm earth floor, Moroccan Mint (for delicious teas), Egyptian Onions (a delicious little bulb), and a beautiful climbing Canadian series rose (for beauty, aroma, and wonderful rose petal water) are a few. Others are contentedly tucked into roomy growing pots, with Jalapeno Peppers, Cherry Tomatoes, Rosemary, Sage, and even Celery included.

How wonderful to have a little Secret Garden growing right in the heart of ice and snow.