Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Mad as a March Hare

“With rushing winds and gloomy skies The dark and stubborn Winter dies: Far-off, unseen, Spring faintly cries, Bidding her earliest child arise; March!”
~ Bayard Taylor

Spring's voice is still faint here, but the rise in birdsong in the neighbourhood acts as an advance party.


I slipped away a couple weeks ago to an inspiration garden at a local garden centre. It was just the tonic I needed.


Dancing water, the freshest greens, white impossibly delicate blooms


Sweet displays that smiled winsomely, asking to come home with me (and did)


Oranges and lemons growing in profusion, heavy and fragrant


And a table set just for me. If there had been a teapot on it, I would have thought a March Hare had been expecting me - but that would just be mad. :)


Happy Spring! For you GWN gardeners, it's closer that it seems. :)

20 comments:

Laurrie said...

Very serene, very quiet and restful. Just what's needed before the onslaught of spring when everything happens at once and it all happens too fast. Spring will be here soon but you'll think back to a still day by a waterfall inside.

sweetbay said...

A beautiful and soothing display. The fragrance of citris blossoms is wonderful ~ we had a Tangerine tree for several years before it got too big to lug in and out anymore.

chey said...

Inspirational indeed! Soothing green and white plantings, trickling water over gorgeous stones, and citrus scents in the air~ what more could a northern gardener want to tide themselves over till spring?

P.S.~ love your reference to the March Hare:).

Rebecca @ In The Garden said...

What beautiful displays, I would have also taking a thing or 2 home. Glad you had a nice break, and a little inspirations. :)

Marguerite said...

What a fantastic garden centre. It looks like a small piece of paradise. What a lovely afternoon you must have had.

Anonymous said...

Winter....AAAAAAAAAAAARRRGGH!!!!

So where is this garden centre? I have the swim trunks on and the beach-chair loaded in the car...

Northern Beauty Seeker said...

Laurrie: You are so right. It was tranquil and just what I needed before it all gets crazy. They have a lovely cafe there and the latte beside the pond was just about perfect. :)

Sweetbay: It was the first time I have smelled citrus flowers not from a bottle - wow. I want my world to smell like that everyday.

Chey: It reminded why I love a white garden so much - and why I want a water feature, and why I want....want...want...to be in my garden. :)

Rebecca: With all the white this winter, I really needed some brilliant green. They do an outstanding job of creating the perfect garden escape.

Marguerite: I look forward to their inspiration garden every year. I don't know if you ever saw the Corner Gas episode where Brent Butt takes a holiday on the front lawn in his chair and just dreams himself away, but that was exactly how I felt. lol

Zone3b: It's Greenlands, and they have it set up until around the end of March. Call them to find out more. ps. Just don't bring your fishing rod as you might get a look or two... ;)

Clayton said...

Great post. I am looking forward to Gardenscape here in Saskatoon this weekend and hoping for an hour or so to wander in amongst all the displays. There is usually something new to see and plants to drool over.

Calgary Garden Coach said...

Gorgeous! I covet that pond!
Janice

Victoria said...

So beautiful..what a gorgeous post..that orange looks divine too..beautiful blooms..thanks for this beautiful spring buzz!
Kiki

Andrea said...

That's a very restful place. While you are going into spring we are starting our dry season, and it's getting to be hot (34C)and humid outside. Last weekend 3 of us went out of town to an island for an escape, and it was really a beautiful respite from the city stresses. I posted some shots too.

Dave said...

The March hares do look a bit ticked off - the White-tailed Jackrabbits are half brown and have nowhere to hide in our still too white city. Good thing the icicles drip some days and the chickadees and nuthatches are defending territories again or there would be no natural sounds outside of Greenlands. Maybe the ring-billed gulls will be showing up some day soon.

Jennifer@threedogsinagarden said...

Spring has not arrived here as yet. Snow still covers the ground. I don't usually like formal ponds, but I really like this one.

Northern Beauty Seeker said...

Clayton: I love Saskatoon! Sounds like you will have a wonderful weekend. Careful on the roads, it's still a wintery out there. :)

Calgary Garden Coach: Me too! It is formal but not over the top.

Kiki: Those oranges were so tempting. I knew if my little son had been with me he would have picked some and then I would have been in trouble! lol

Andrea: Your holiday looks wonderful - beaches and waterfalls. It looks very welcoming. :)

Dave: I'm really noticing the brown on the Jackrabbits as well. I bet they can't wait for some melting to happen. I am dying to see a robin so I did a little poking around on the 'net and it says that they follow the 37F degree isotherm. I'm hoping that means we will see them in the next week or so. Let's hope!


Jennifer: I think Canada is like Narnia this year, always winter and never Christmas. ;)
I really like this pond, too. It is understated and very effective for sound with its two tiers. It was wonderful to sit beside.

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Ms S girl this was lovely : )
I adore the water feature .. I only wish we could have one here too .. nothing like the sound of water in your little piece of Eden to comfort and refresh you (especially our summers !) I think that is wonderful that you had your son on the same date as I had mine : ) Too funny and cute a conection !! We are co-moms ? haha
Joy

Northern Beauty Seeker said...

Joy: I hope to get a water feature this summer, even if it is a tabletop version...jut love the sound! Co-moms? Love it! (Not sure your son would go in for the same Lightening McQueen birthday cake mine dived into!)lol

Anna said...

Glad to hear that spring has started to whisper in your part of the world. Here she is now in full song! That garden centre looks a most tranquil place to while away some time. Now I wonder why March hares are mad :)

Bonnie said...

I saw your comment on Garden4Joy about the sundogs. I don't know what they are called but I saw a column rainbow a couple of months ago when the temps were below zero here. It was the first one I'd seen. Reading your posts, it sounds like you and I are doing the same things to get through these last few weeks of cold weather until we can play in our gardens.

Casa Mariposa said...

Wonderful poem and LOVE the garden center set up! It would have been hard to leave such a cozy display.

OF SPRING AND SUMMER said...

Hi,
What a beautiful garden centre. Lovely pond and you got some wonderful plants.
Have a good week.
Ingrid xx