So, while all you Easterners are talking about how weird it is to have temps in the 20s in March, we’re NOT having temps in the 20s in March on the West Coast. No. The reason I’m still wearing my wool (cashmere, yum!) coat and cashmere scarf wrapped many times around my neck is because we’ve got temps near zero. And snow. And freezing rain. And hail.
Bragging about warm spring weather is supposed to be Our Deal! I’m a wee bit disconcerted, y’know?
But I’m not going to get upset, or jealous, or any other negative emotions. Instead, I’m going to Accentuate the Positive, as the song has it.
Because in between bouts of hail, there is much to accentuate here. For instance, these scylla blooms working their way through last fall’s decaying vegetation (which I prefer to think of as mulch, rather than as overdue cleanup)
or, say, these undeniably charming violets . . .
Osmanthus blooms ready to burst, fragrance and all . . .
Or the ribes sanguineum White Icicles (flowering red currant, white-blooming variety) which I really, really love. . .
Even Euphorbia’s red bracts . . .
And the sweet, sweet blooms of Brunnera macrophylla
Although the temperatures might not clearly show it on the West Coast yet, Spring has well and truly sprung. I’m doing my best to be happy for all of you enjoying warmer climes in places that usually suffer cold right now. And I’m trying to be patient since Spring is clearly unstoppable now. And besides being unstoppable, she’s as pretty as she always is. . . .
This is a lovely post and a wonderful reminder to focus on and appreciate these small, beautiful, and resilient gifts of nature.
Glad you enjoyed it, Melanie — we are lucky, aren't we!
Hi Mater – truth be told, I'm not quite ready for full-on warm temps yet. Surely this can't last …? :0) P.
Are you back from Arizona? Must have been nice to return to the sunshine!
Hi Mater – yes, it was a surprise! I dressed for the plane in much the same clothes I left in – cords, cardigan, knit t-shirt, pea coat, scarf (it was snowing when we left. However, today we are back to minus temps, although it's clear and sunny, so perfect weather really. P
That pink scarf is divine. I love the new green-and-purple peeking up through the mulch. Life goes on.
Everything here that was blooming last week was whipped by a hard, cold wind over the weekend, so most of the more delicate blooms on trees are now a memory. But I'm seeing the bright green start to pop out from the leaf buds on my liquidambar, and we have some new blooms in front, so it's time to pull out the camera…
It's quite wonderful, a Christmas gift many years ago from my husband who noticed me lusting after its finely woven cashmere and delicate mauve tone. I do love it!
And I love that bright green, love liquidambar trees. . . I'll look forward to your photos.
Plaid pants and a brooch? Go you! I'm freezing round here and ready for summer. My kids on the East Coast have been raving about warm temperatures for weeks and weeks:).
You spotted the plaid pants, thank you! I realized I've only got a few more days in which they'll make much sense. Soon time to pack them away in their winter storage (I hope!).
Seeing those pretty wee blooms peeking out from under,
do provide hope that Spring sunshine cannot be far off.
What a lovely brooch you have on your coat…
keep warm!
Thanks, Lesley — I've got in the habit, these last few years, of wearing a brooch on my coat lapel. It makes me feel slightly better about having to wear a coat!
Oh, photo number 3 is just magical. In our area, when the lilacs and the violets bloom it is time to go hunting for morel mushrooms. I figure it is still three weeks away. If it makes you feel any better, we had to take cover from extremely high winds today.
You get morels! Yum, yum! That's something to look forward to. Our lilacs come many, many weeks after the violets; we get a delightfully spread out spring rather than the brilliant explosion you enjoy.
And sorry if I seemed to be wishing ill winds on you — hope you managed to stay warm.
It feels so wrong to be the beneficiary of insanely gorgeous weather. I'm actually almost too freaked out by it to enjoy it. And, of course, I'm waiting for everything to go back to normal. Which would be a specific kind of torment.
I've felt exactly that way in years when we've had prolonged drought through August and September. Of course, once October through, oh, April come along with the rains, I'm wishing for that "wrong" weather . . . indeed, a specific kind of torment!
It is very strange that our weather has parted company with yours, we are very warm and the moment, the downside is drought, lots of hosepipe bans and empty ponds.
I love that dress you bought, the shape is so flattering it is the kind of dress I would snap up in some other colours too. I have that same ribes as you and had planted it with one of those lovely pink dicentra's, sadly the latter appears not to have survived the winter so my best laid plans..I have a feeling I will be spending a lot of time gardening this Easter, it is all looking a little overgrown.
It is far warmer than normal here. All the trees have budded out and even the warm season grasses are turning green.
What beautiful photos of the plants.
I noticed that brooch on your coat. It looks lovely.
Beautiful photos, and the scarf is a perfect complement to the spring colors! Here in the Northeast U.S., our trees are blooming — which is absolutely unheard of, this early. Freezes are predicted and I'm very afraid! Hoping the buds and blossoms are hardy enough to survive.
A few years ago, we had a fairly heavy mid-April snowfall, very unusual here, and as the trees had already leafed out a fair bit, there was way too much weight captured on the branches, much breakage. . . I hope nothing of the sort happens out your way.