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, Beautiful Spring

Campanula in the Greenroom

Beautiful Sweet Smelling Primula

~ A Busy Day ~

author unknown

The bluff March wind set out from home

Before the peep of day,

But nobody seemed to be glad he had come,

And nobody asked him to stay.

Yet he dried up the snow-banks far and near,

And made the snow-clouds roll,

Huddled up in a heap, like driven sheep,

Way off to the cold North Pole.

He broke the ice on the river's back

And floated it down the tide,

And the wild ducks came with a loud "Quack, quack,"

To play in the waters wide.

He snatched the hat off Johnny's head

And rolled it on and on,

And oh, what a merry chase it led

Little laughing and scampering John!

He swung the tree where the squirrel lay

Too late in its winter bed,

And he seemed to say in his jolly way,

"Wake up, little sleepy head!"

He dried the yard so that Rob and Ted

Could play at marbles there,

And he painted their cheeks a carmine red

With the greatest skill and care.

He shook all the clothes-lines, one by one,

What a busy time he had!

But nobody thanked him for all he had done;

Now wasn't that just too bad?

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.

Beauty in the Greenhouse

Climbing roses still blooming in the greenhouse

The rose's greenhouse companion Rosemary


Long, long ago...well maybe not quite so long ago (12 years) we installed a wonderful greenroom on the south side of our home. An antique French door and four window panels in the medieval styled great room look directly into this growing area, and one turn of the knob to open the door sends heavenly wafts of moist garden air perfumed by blooming roses, green herbs, and fresh earth drifting through out the entire house. How refreshing during the long, cold winter months in Northern Minnesota.