March

 The weather varies not only from day to day, but often from morning through evening.

Tuesday began cloudy, but by late morning the sun broke from behind the banks of grey and the sky turned  blue. 

I decided it was a good time to do errands in the South Fork community.

I needed a fabric for my current quilting project, and was very 'good'--although I enjoyed looking around the quilt shop and imagining how various prints could be used, I bought only the needed 2 yards, then progressed to the produce market and the discount store.

Driving back along the creek road--bottom land flooded from the recent rains.

Wild daffodils always begin blossoming before the season has settled into real springtime warmth. 

In many spots they have colonized to the very edge of the winding roads.

I searched for a spot where it would be safe to pull over long enough to point the camera out the window.

At home late in the afternoon we heard the rasping cronks of sandhill cranes flying northward.

There were two groups; the one in the lead circled and hovered until the second smaller flock  caught them up.

Today's weather was the reverse of yesterday with a brilliant blue sky morning which segued into overcast by mid afternoon. 

Our neighbor is a good steward of his property, barns painted black and the roofs a cheerful red. 

I walk past this view going to and from the mailbox.

The bluebird house matches the rest of the buildings.

A wreath of barbed wire.

Walking along the lane from the mailbox, our land begins to the right of the fence. A forsythia bush marks the corner.  I brought in seven more branches to force.  In this way the tallest branches are being trimmed to keep the bush more compact.

It was too lovely out this afternoon to stay indoors.  Poking about I discovered that two clematis are alive and putting forth new leaves.  This is my favorite, the heirloom, 'Candida' which has now moved with me twice.  The frail clematis cuttings which I cosseted through last summer are looking fragile still--one shows tentative signs of life. The Spring Hills Nursery catalog once again pictures stunning clematis--after a quick look I put the catalog in the fire--I refuse to be tempted again by their offerings!

My cherished lemon verbena is showing fresh growth. For now, until all danger of frosty nights has passed, it is living in the downstairs family room.  An unidentified cat amused himself by stirring the soil, so I have barricaded it with two large rocks, a small trellis, a plastic picnic knife and an old glass insulator.  So far, this cat-proofing seems to work!

I'm not as encouraged by the appearance of the amaryllis--although I brought them back inside from the greenhouse when cold nights threatened, I suspect there was a night when temperatures dropped too low for them.
Outer layers on two of the bulbs were soft, as though frost-nipped. They've not been showing signs of growth in the big window of the family room. I carefully peeled back what I considered to be damaged bits and carried the four pots back to the greenhouse. I've managed in the past to keep amaryllis bulbs alive, but never coaxed them to re-bloom. 

Our friend and former renter, Fred, was successful at this, and bequeathed the amaryllis to me when he moved. 

I missed having blooming amaryllis this year to brighten grey winter days.

I invented small tasks in the greenhouse--mere puttering--but came inside when the late afternoon sky turned grey.

I went through my marked copy of Select Seeds catalog, editing my wish list to a practical size, then placed an online order.

Select Seeds tempts with heirloom varieties of both annuals and perennials, seeds and plants, as well as interesting hybrids of familiar plants. 

Since most of their seed offerings are at $3 or $4 per packet, I've decided that I can be content with the more common varieties of herbs and flowers that appear on seed racks in local venues. 

None of the seeds from earlier seasons, sowed during the warm spell in January have germinated.  

I realized the seed might be too old--and temperatures in the greenhouse too chilly for growth, but the urge to plant and nurture is strong.

Spring is a capricious time--advancing with sunny days and warm temperatures, then retreating with a bluster of chilly wind and icy rain.

Still, the hopes of dedicated gardeners continue to flourish.

Jim brought home a container of soil from his new property several miles away, pointing out that it is of  a better quality than what we have here. 

[He would like me to show some enthusiasm for that project.]

I commented that I envisioned an enlarged area for herbs and flowers between the front steps and the border along the retaining wall. Perhaps some 'good dirt' could be moved in!