Search This Blog

Sunday, February 22, 2015

Spotted Towhee Welcome to Spring February 22, 2014

Welcome to some spring flowers, very early.   We have had unusually warm weather in January and February, and the plants have calculated their warmth hours and decided it's spring.  Of course they could face some harsh realities, I hope not.



Today I am linking with-

I'd Rather Be Birdin' hosted by Hootin' Anni'

Today's Flowers hosted by Denise

Saturday's Critters hosted by Eileen

I Heart Macro hosted by Laura

Macro Monday 2 hosted by Gemma and Mystical Magical Teacher

The compelling flash of red, the Spotted Towhee, Pipilo maculata-
















I thought my new Gold Collection Hellebores had mostly disappeared.  I was mistaken, I didn't look in my back bed where my Helleborus 'Winter Moonbeam' was alive after all, I love the way the flowers age to salmon-







Helleborus Winter Jewels 'Royal Heritage is coming along-


A whole bed of my original happy Hellebores from a friend-

And next entry in my houseplant continuing bloom, an African violet I inherited from my Swedish mother-in-law who lived with us for 8.8 years, and lived to 102.33 years.  I haven't succeeded well with African violets before but put this one by the back sliding door where it thrived-

This week my husband and I celebrate 47 years of marriage, 3 children and 6 grandchildren later.  All the older generations are gone on my side of the family this year, and only 2 aunts are left on my husband's side, so we are nearly the older generation.  This fills me with wonder and joyful expectation about the future, because I know this world is not my home.   Hannah 


                                               or cameras are macro

©Weeding on the Wild Side, all rights reserved.   I'm looking forward to hearing your comments and looking at your blogs as well.

38 comments:

  1. Thank you for sharing these lovely flowers of spring.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Romi, it's too early but I guess that demonstrates the warming that is going on.

      Delete
  2. Replies
    1. Thanks, they are wonderful to bloom in the mid-winter, though this year they have company!

      Delete
  3. So many beautiful flowers dressed in gorgeous colours.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Gemma, I wonder what the summer will be like with such warm temperatures now.

      Delete
  4. Hello Hannah, I love your cute Towhee! Great video. And the Hellebores and African Violet are both beautiful..Lovely photos. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post.. Happy Anniversary to you and your hubby! Have a happy day and week ahead!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Eileen, I couldn't believe the African violet liked it by the door, I thought they didn't care for much sun. The daffodils this early were quite a surprise too, and some flowering trees are blooming as well.

      Delete
  5. we have snow this morning in texas, so spring is put on hold (i'm sure the ornamental pear tree which was blooming last week is not happy).

    would love to see a towhee in person some day.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Theresa, Texas has so many lovely birds I would like to see again- Cardinals, Scissor-tailed Flycatchers, etc. We could always get snow for another 2 months too...

      Delete
  6. 47 years? That is awesome. Loved the flowers in your post!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Linda, it seems incredible. Time really flies.

      Delete
  7. I love all your spring flowers. My mom has a lot of African violets. I haven't had one in years. I'm usually very successful in killing them. Congrats on 47 years of marriage. That's just awesome.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Gunilla, I've always killed them before. It's great to succeed. It's great having a sweet husband who has an even temperament and doesn't fly off the handle and stress me out like some people I've known.

      Delete
  8. Wonderful photography as usual. I especially enjoyed the towhee. Happy anniversary to you and your husband.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Dorothy, instead of eating at a fancy restaurant, we go swimming and sit in the hot tub there.;-) Warm and bubbly.

      Delete
  9. Thanks, Nicola, I hope winter is treating you well.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Beautiful crocus and hellebores! Loved the towhee also!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Marie, I will enjoy them in case they get snow dumped on them.

      Delete
  11. Such beautiful flowers! Seems like spring is on the way!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Mary, it's pretty but scary..... But it is fulfilling my dreams of spring, early!

      Delete
  12. The blooms are quite lovely and a refreshing sight!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Gail, I've never seen such an early spring here. It's very uplifting, and I'm starting to get some work done with garden clean-up and preparation.

      Delete
  13. Its getting that time of year over here too. A few fine days just a bit early often catches out the flowers, the bees and the birds and then they have to slam the brakes on.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Phil, I haven't seen bees yet but some loud bug buzzed by the other day. And robins are here already, very early.

      Delete
  14. Wow! Spring has arrived on your blog.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Sharon, it seems I have some personal proof of global warming.

      Delete
  15. Beautiful flowers and lovely garden!! Here, where I'm living, it's cold, wet and dreary so this is a special treat with all the lovely colors.
    And, the Towheee is one bird I'd LOVE to find and photograph!!

    Thanks for sharing this link at I'd Rather B Birdin' this week.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Anni, the west coast with the maritime climate gets a break from the cold unless Canada leaves the door open, but we also get the currents from Japan with the radiation. Ouch.

      Delete
  16. Hurrah for spring.... I am so happy to see things starting to come to life

    mollyxxx

    ReplyDelete
  17. Thanks, Molly, on the sunny days with no cloud cover it can drop below freezing, so I hope the early flowers can take it. I've been able to start putting the chicken wire on my front bed to keep the rabbits out this summer.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Happy Anniversary, Hannah! My mom is 82, and planning to go from Lincoln, NE to somewhere in Oklahoma with my dad's brother and his wife next month to go to his uncle's 95th birthday party. (My dad passed away this summer. My brother was saying that this uncle liked Mom better than Dad, anyway. I am trying to remember if I've been around him. I do remember a couple of his uncles who farmed in Iowa, who we used to go visit. I remember singing to their cows. Anyway, you mentioning old people made me think of that.

    I am always tickled when I see people in other places have hellebores in bloom, because I know our turn is coming. Yours sure are beauties! I love the foliage on the Gold collection.

    Thanks for the comment on my post.

    ReplyDelete
  19. I forgot to mention that the phlox seeds could still sprout this year. I know some wildflower seeds don't always germinate the first year, but don't remember which. I've also noticed the size of the clumps of phlox varies from year to year.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Sue, I could give them another try. I did grow a lot of the annual phlox, but they didn't reseed, which is rather important to me in an annual to reduce my work load.

      Delete
  20. What an abundance of beauty!!! Thanks for sharing the love up-close with I Heart Macro:-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Laura, and I hope your long, long winter will be over soon. Thanks for hosting.

      Delete
  21. So beautiful, the flowers and the Towhee, wonderful.

    ReplyDelete