March came in that winter like the meekest and mildest of lambs, bringing days that were crisp and golden and tingling, each followed by a frosty pink twilight which gradually lost itself in an elfland of moonshine. ―
L.M. Montgomery’s quote above seems quite perfect for this morning… everything is covered in a frost and my breath is visible as I walk. But the skies are clear, the sun rose with a gorgeous rosy golden glow… and the temperature is supposed to rise into the 50’s today!
February roared to a close this week, literally… raging winds that blew out the mild weather we had and reminded me that, yes… it is still winter! Still. Sigh.
But March brings the “light at the end of the tunnel” closer and closer. My morning walks are full of light… beautiful light. Well at least for a few more days until we turn the clocks ahead on the 10th, then I will have lighter nighttime walks as I wait for the morning light to catch up again.
I had such great hopes for a spring with a plethora of blooming daffodils, crocus, alliums, and tulips but most of those hopes have been dashed… or rather eaten. Yes, every last crocus that had come up has been eaten entirely… every.last.one. And the few tulips that had begun to sprout have been shredded by the damned squirrels. And whatever was eating those tender allium shoots… keeps eating them as they valiantly continue to grow. I planted an abundance (30 or so) of “daffodils for naturalizing” and not a single one has sprouted. The only daffodils that have grown are the ones I planted near the living room window. So March Disappointment is absolutely A. Thing.
The snowdrops though… they started blooming last month and they are still going strong! One day last month, I sat in the sunshine on the porch step soaking in the warmth and watched bees dancing around those tender blooms. So maybe I just need to order a LOT more snowdrop bulbs!!
I have thought about the things I want to accomplish this month… but I don’t really have any spectacular things to put on a list.
I *need* to pull out a few “warm weather” things in my closet (a few are pulled out but maybe a few more… I really don’t like the “mixed wardrobe closet” at all. It just feels like chaos… because it is a bit chaotic!)
I have an eye doctor appointment this month and a meeting with the audiologist about hearing aids.
So there you have my March… I am hopeful that my disappointments will wane and that there will be good things that overtake them!
What about you? What do you hope your March holds?
Oh I feel your disappointment on your daffodils. A lot of mine have been chomped by slugs, they don’t seem to like tulips , so I will keep buying tulip bulbs. I hope your appointments all go well, such a worry as we all age. I have a rather exciting March in front of me, which I hope to share as we go along. Enjoy your weekend and some sunny days.
Oh bugger about all the eaten flowers.
I’m sorry your bulb hopes have been dashed by critters. I finally gave up on tulips here after the squirrels and/or deer ate all the lovely ones I had so carefully dug from John’s grandmother’s yard after she passed. I have crocus but they seem to wilt quickly in any warmth. Like you, snowdrops seem to be most successful!
Don’t give up on your daffodils yet, Kat. Mine are just beginning to come up, and a lot of times they don’t do much in the first year anyway. Bunnies always, always nibble on my allium shoots — but soon the bunnies will have other things to nibble on, too, and the allium will be less a draw for them (so don’t give up on them yet). The crocus and tulips, though? Ugh. I have given up completely on mine over the years. Damn squirrels.
So sorry about ALL your bulbs! We gave up on tulips years ago (thank you squirrels), but our daffodils have survived and even thrived. Here’s hoping yours will as well. I can’t believe we turn the clocks in 10 days (why don’t we just do away with the back and forth?).
our snowdrops did not come up!! I don’t know where they are hiding. Our daffodils are sprouting and soon to bloom. I am excited it is March.
Ugh, I am frustrated on your behalf about all the bulbs. I have to wonder why the animals are eating things other than what usually makes up their diet. No doubt climate change is playing a part. But on the upside, it’s a beautiful day out there — and it is the first day of meterological spring!
Hope all your appointments today go well!
Funny enough, I’m blog reading in the waiting room of the eye dr.! About those bulbs…I, too, planted a gazillion dad’s bulbs last fall. Those Inout close to my house have been up for weeks; those I ‘tossed + tucked’ into the yard have not shown up yet. There might be some factors at play like warmth? Warmer near the house? I’m convinced they’ll come along eventually. I’ll cross fingers for both of us.
As for the squirrels, sometimes I wonder if all my treats for the birds are what draw the squirrels, as well…so…rock and a hard place. Ugh.
Oh those darn squirrels. They are such a pain. I’m glad the snowdrops are blooming. I don’t know that I have a list for March although it is time for me to make my Spring reading list. As I wrote somewhere else, I like these quarterly lists but they are only suggestions to myself.
I still have hope for your bulbs, it’s early yet and hopefully there are some that will come up. Mine are mostly planted close to my foundation and I’ve been lucky that the squirrels don’t really bother them. My crocus this year have failed to come up, though, so I think I will need to plant new ones in the fall. I need to go do a snow drop search!