A March moment

Posted on March 9, 2022 by composerinthegarden

Our life is March weather, savage and serene in one hour. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Even as I prepare a series of posts about the evolution of the garden, I am drawn into the drama of March weather. This past weekend was gloriously warm and sunny, full of blue skies and singing birds.

The light through last year’s hydrangea blossoms was magical and the colorful sunset above the bare trees inspiring. But soon the wild winds of March blew in from the west, bending and creaking the bare trees. A day later, the snow began to fall, enormous fluffy flakes that coated everything in a magical layer of white. Never mind that the winter had already expressed itself in snow and ice many times, the effect was charming and worthy of a short video.

The snow melted by mid-afternoon, leaving the spring garden tasks visible once again, awaiting my pruner and loppers and shovel. And so March goes, an unpredictable yet compelling time of the year, promising so much for the months to come.

March is the month of expectation, the things we do not know.~ Emily Dickinson

Four and Twenty Hours

Posted on March 11, 2017 by composerinthegarden

In the spring, I have counted one hundred and thirty-six kinds of weather inside of four and twenty hours. ~Mark Twain

It is typical March weather – one moment full of sunshine and flowers, the next filled with snow. A few days ago, the early morning sun on a mild day lit up the glowing green of moss and the soft colorful blooms emerging everywhere. The forsythia was finally in full-tilt bloom, the Cornelian cherry (Cornus mas) was covered in tiny gold bubbles, and the Japanese weeping cherry was about to burst into flower. I spent a peaceful afternoon in the garden, cleaning up beds, pruning shrubs, and listening to the lively bird song coming from the woods.

Weeping cherry buds

Helleborus foetidus in the light

Iris reticulata ‘Harmony’

Helleborus orientalis in morning sun

Moss with leaf shadow

Scilla siberica

Forsythia in full bloom

Daffodil ‘Verdant Meadow’

By evening, fierce winds brought winter’s return and by the next morning, wet snow clung to every branch and twig, transforming spring into a sparkling white wonderland.

Lower garden in snowy garb

Cornelian cherry flowers

Forsythia in snow

Snowy pines by the gate

The snow was wet and heavy and bright blue skies warm with sunshine threatened its demise and a quick return to spring.

Sunny skies

Forsythia blossoms in snow

Snow and sun at the gate

But that was not to be. Within a few hours, the north wind swept through once more, creating a white out effect as it whipped the loose snow into milky clouds and froze thin layers to branches. whiteoutWP

Today, it is bitterly cold and the world outside the window is bleak once more. In a week or so, March winds will carry spring back again, an event I eagerly await. What is March weather like in your part of the world?

What the Storm Brought

Posted on March 6, 2013 by composerinthegarden

mounds of snow
playtime with Angel Eyes
breathtaking winter scenes
warmer weather and a thaw
the last snow storm of the year?

I woke up to a winter wonderland in March, every twig and bough coated with snow. By this afternoon, most of the six inches of snow was melting away. Ephemeral beauty; a black and white world in color.