Bloom Day: April 2013

Spring has been slow to arrive this year. Many of us still have patches of snow. Typically, by mid-April daffodils have shone their bright, sunny faces (see April 2012 Bloom Day). But so far the Northeast’s season of renewal is only just beginning.

Robins are visiting our lawns, bright green sprouts are beginning to poke through the thawing ground, and buds are starting to form on trees. A few hardy spring flowers — crocuses and snowdrops — have begun to bloom and give us a glimmer of hope for the season to come.

We have proof that spring is upon us, while our friend across the Atlantic is still waiting to welcome spring to her farm.

Margaret Lennon, Eagle Bridge, New York:

Snowdrops in front of my house — it was sleeting the morning the photograph was taken:

Tricia Denault, Clarksburg, Massachusetts:

Crocuses

Maryellen Mahoney, Shaftsbury, Vermont:

Snowdrops

Debbie Surdam, Hoosick, New York:

Crocuses — taken last weekend (when the weather was lovely):

MaryAnn Nøbben, Skammestein, Norway:

While your gardens are greeting snowdrops, the only thing growing in my garden is dropped snow! The second picture is of my highly successful salad garden, but at the moment I can’t even get iceberg lettuce to thrive! 

The deer is visiting under the bird feeder just outside the kitchen window 
where my mints are planted; I'm hoping he won't come back to nibble them 
when the snow is gone! I'll have to put my guard cat (or “gard kat” — 
 which is “farm cat” in Norwegian) on duty then, too!