Spring Comes In . . . Like a Lamb

crocuses by the garage

This time last year, the lawn was green, the daffodils were in full force, and the cherry tree was bursting with flowerbuds ready to pop. This year, not so much. Spring is taking it's time to show it's colors. Not that I'm really complaining; this easing into the season suits me this year.  The crocuses are at their best right now; a few daffodils are just starting to bloom. The cherry tree's buds are still tiny, but they are there.

I always get a bit anxious when I start to check and see what made it through the winter in the garden. Tree peonies? Looking good (I actually trimmed off the dead wood last week). The brownish-red buds are beginning to emerge unscathed. Phew! Dodged another bullet. Honestly, most of the other perennials have still to make an appearance with the flush of new growth. They are still dormant; lying low. The warmer weather finally forecast for this weekend should jump-start things.

Last weekend, I took a trip to the Nichols area of Trumbull, and stopped in at the Trumbull Historical Society grounds. I'm embarrassed to say, I've lived in this area 12+ years, and just discovered this hidden gem a few miles from my home.

snowdrops on a lovely hillside . . .

It's park-like setting make it an ideal place to stop and have a picnic, or read in solitude under a tree. I hiked up a hill where, to my surprise, I found a beautiful apple orchard, well-tended; the trees standing like sentinels in a row.

At the bottom of the hill were a few outbuildings and a fantastic old greenhouse. It's interior was overgrown with ivy, making it look like some ancient, abandoned relic from days gone by, but charming just the same.

Across the street from the Historical Society is the Nichols Community Center. On the corner stands a really beautiful fountain. It's the Peet Bunny Fountain, a gift from the Peet family to the residents of Nichols in 1895, but I just call it the Bunny Fountain. Restored in 1992, it's a nice example of turn of the century sculpture (reminiscent of the Arts and Crafts movement and Tiffany-age ironwork).

The Bunny Fountain in all it's glory 

So with this image, I'll leave you to your Easter weekend pursuits, and hope they bring you out into your garden to enjoy the fresh air and the inevitability of warmer days ahead.
Happy Gardening!!!