Spring is springing... slowly

Yesterday was officially the first day of spring, but things are still pretty chilly. The sun has been shining, but the temps have struggled to get very high.

Still, the gardens have benefited from all that sun. Before we jetted off, I went around and did my weekly inspection.

The Weeping Pussywillow has a few small catkins coming, but we won't see too much more until it gets a little warmer.

Same with the Lilac. Lots of healthy buds, but we really need some spring weather for this one to get going.

The Irises are always a bit of a surprise. They don't bloom until May, but they are one of the first things to push up through the ground.

And these Turkistan Tulips are really reaching for the sun. Once the weather warms up, I'm actually going to move them. They are amongst the Day Lilies, and they get over-shadowed before they have much of a chance to bloom.

And the Cardianl Flower I bought last year is showing signs of life. This makes me really happy - it's a big, lovely display of red in the middle of summer. And it's a native plant that's suppose to attrack hummingbirds.

And I'm very happy to say the squirrels have left me at least one happy Daffodil. 

I can't wait to inspect things and see how they've done while I've been away!