The end.....

Hey there, friend! I enjoyed all your photos and am sending you best wishes across the miles. (Hope the seedlings are coming along). There is nothing blooming here yet but the hellebore are only a few days away. On my first day outside working in the garden I rolled my ankle and sustained a serious sprain. It's swollen twice the size and black and blue. Darn it! I have been inside with my foot propped up and on ice for days. I have daylily orders to send out. (I am selling divisions of my clumps over on the 'other' site) And I've had to become a teacher for one of the grandkids....amazing how much smarter kids are today compared to what I learned centuries ago....lol. I wouldn't mind the stay at home order at all except for the injury preventing me from walking and gardening.

I am praying that you and all our forum friends stay healthy during this time of crisis....both mentally and physically. It's challenging with the financial woes and the added anxiety. My husband's business is failing like so many others. All we can do is take it one day at a time. Your photos were a nice respite from the worries. Take care, everyone!

Great Flowers Kate. Thanks for posting. The purple ones in the last set are my favorites [surprise].

O Celeste, I am so sorry to hear about your ankle and also your husband's business. Praying for you and also everyone else for protection. We are ok so far. Janelle's job is in healthcare; she lost some hours [32 a week now instead of 40] her job is fairly secure. Surprisingly I've had a couple of computer jobs.

Here's a couple of pictures:

English Blue Bells

Trees from a beautiful cemetery in Lexington.

Brad

I am sorry to hear about your ankle. What a bummer!

Daffodils, peach trees, and forsythia are blooming here. Flowering quince and viburnum are getting close. The daylilies are jumping out of the ground. Bob is working at home so he has some time to work in the garden. We have gotten a lot done. I always feel better when I am in the garden.

Stay safe, everyone!

Nancy

Thanks for sharing your blooms Kate! It’s spring somewhere! Celeste, hope your ankle is better soon. It looks like my son won’t be working for awhile, he will still have his health insurance and will be working when it’s again safe. My daylilies are popping up and the daffodils have buds. We had our patio and fencing redone and enlarged, so, I have a big mess in the garden bed next to it. We moved things before construction started but a small tre stump had to be removed. It appears I’ve lost my Magic Dancer, but, I’ve kept two prolifs from it going on a windowsill over the winter, thank goodness I did that.

Hope you are all doing well, looking forward to seeing some daylily blooms.

Sherry

I love that quote, Kate! No surprise that it is Monet. Thanks for sharing it and your beautiful blooms! Beautiful blooms from you too, Brad - thanks for sharing those also. Celeste, I am sorry to hear about your husband's business and your injury :( Don't push it and try to do too much outside too soon! Here, the grass is just starting to green up, some bulbs (crocus and iris reticulata) have started blooming, and my hellebores are blooming. Haven't gotten any pictures yet. Chionodoxa will be blooming soon. So much to do outside, and I want to be out there for some garden therapy and mental health, but the weather hasn't been cooperating much yet. I am thankful to still be able to work full time (from home now), but wish I had those 40+ hours a week to spend outside. Take care everyone and stay safe.

Being outdoors is all it takes to improve my mood. the flowers are lovely. know it is a joy to see spring dressing up n her best. My DIL said she wanted to bring the kids for pictures and she will let me know so I can stay inside. No problem, all the daylily beds are weeded. Not all the back, but all the daylily beds. If the rain would delay for a few days, We could really get a lot done, right? I love the verbena, and you are right, the snowballs are almost at the same poinr. Oh, and Kate...It is just the beginning, my friend. just the beginning.

kay

A wonderful site to see and I know my turn will come for blooms. Take care and thank you for the wonderful inspiration.

Julia

Gardening soothes the soul and reduces the stress. Beautiful blooms on this thread.

Celeste - Sorry to hear about your ankle. Do stay off of it as much as you can.

Debra

So nice to see all the blooms. Your season is further along Kate then we are with your Snowball bush in bloom. I sure loved mine, but as with many plants here, you get about 20 years out of them and then our climate and soil take their toll and they are gone.......This is a picture of a Viola I potted into a small 6 inch pot last fall (probably the yellow variety in the "Penny" series). Viola's, though smaller flowered then most pansies, tend to overwinter much better for me. However, you can tell how warm a winter we had because of how well it overwintered. It was just sitting on my back porch on a bench. I haven't gotten around to cutting off the dead foliage yet, so ignore that part please:

Celeste: So sorry to hear about your ankle. I hope you heal quickly..........Maryl

Lovely flowers, everyone. Nothing blooming here yet but the snowdrops, but daylilies are coming up. :)

Celeste - stay off that ankle! lol

Alex

Thank you for those encouraging thoughts. Back around 1992 we planted daffodil bulbs along the back of the property. The woods grew up around them but they grew into big clumps anyway. Their bright colors bring joy to my heart during this stressful time. I pray for all of you that we will survive and become a better country.