waiting for spring...

...but I don't think it's going to come this year.

We still have almost 2 feet of snow on the ground and it's the first week of March!  2 FEET!  In some areas, we have piles that are taller than my son.  He is a little taller than 6 feet.

Jbo and I were talking on the way into work today that the crocus should be starting to bloom soon, so I checked out the timing on this blog and it looks like in the past, they bloomed anywhere from March 20 - April 1.

I just don't see that we will be able to see any of these flowers by the third week of March.  I don't see any real "warm" days in the near future.  Hope I'm wrong, but I also don't want to see the damage all of this melting snow will do to everyone.  I would like it to start melting (today),...slowly.  A little every day.

Needless to say, we are so OVER this winter.  Jbo says it still looks very nice - which is true, but I'm itching to see the green grass and the pretty flowers.

unseasonalbly warm...

These were already blooming last week!

crocus in an ice storm...

My crocuses were flowering over a week ago already - then we got hit with another snow storm on Tuesday night and this time it was a very heavy snow, mixed with rain.  We enjoyed being dumped on an additional 4" that night...I mean in addition to all the snow that we've received this year already.  The fact is, most of the snow had already melted and we were feeling like spring was just around the corner...and not just the official start of spring, but springtime temps and blooming flowers and all.  But no, Mother Nature had other ideas and realistically, we can pretty much count on the possibility of snow for nearly another month.

Anyway, I took the first picture on March 18th and the second picture this evening...a couple of days after the snow/ice storm.  I really thought my crocuses were done for...but as it turns out, I was wrong.

And then my favorite...

today, while taking down the christmas lights...

Yes, I said it, we're just now taking down the Christmas lights and other various outdoor decorations.  What can I say, we're late.

In fact, over the weekend, we actually had the Christmas lights turned on for a while.  It was for a photo scavenger hunt we were on and it was extra bonus points if we took a picture of a house with the Christmas lights turned on.  It was our lucky day that we hadn't taken them down yet as we did eventually get first place in the scavenger hunt that evening.

As we were leaving the house to gather more things on our list, we realized that we had kept the Christmas lights on...oh well, call the fashion police.

Anyway, as I was saying...while we were outside today taking down the holiday items, look at what 

was in the yard, blooming!!!

Last year I hadn't noticed this much growth for another week.  Is this a sign of an early spring?

Here's a shot of Smokey helping us with the very dry and dead cedar roping.

disaster...

The sweet little bunnies ate ALL my crocuses on the side of the house! I guess the fox urine washed away with the rain and snow. Note the carnage.

I have to make sure they stay away from the ones under the bushes in front because I noticed yesterday that there are two white crocuses coming up…I’ve never seen the white ones before – the bunnies usually eat them before they get this big.

say it with pictures...

I think this garden blog is going to have mostly pictures :) I mean, there's not much else to say other than what I can show you in a photo.

Top two are Siberian Squill (I love that they are blue!) and the bottom of course is (giant) Crocus.

Squill are like Bluebell, only they come out sooner are are a deeper blue. Squill are supposed to spread like mad.

uneaten crocuses...

I am using Deer & Rabbit Repellent to keep them away. It's working and I think this is the first year that I've seen so many crocuses under the front bushes.

If you look close, you can see a little bee at work.

crocus, tulips and squill - oh my!

Today doing the ritual walk around I noticed one tulip head! This should NOT be. I think it's really going to be a retarded tulip (I know from last year that we have many).

There are already squill starting to show thier heads...and many at that.

(This photo is from 3 30 2008. This years Squill look like this today - 10 days earlier!)

Crocuses under the front bushes are all purpley and just about to bloom. I really hope the rabbits don't get to them before I can see just how beautiful they can be.
(This is how my crocuses looked last year after the dreaded bunnies!!!)