The first day of spring is one thing, and the first spring day is another.
The difference between them is sometimes as great as a month.
- Henry Van Dyke, Fisherman's Luck, 1899
Well said, Henry! Spring has been slow to arrive in our area this year. But this past weekend some flowers began to appear, and Oh! the lilacs smell so yummy! When we moved to Boise almost five years ago we purchased our home in the late summer. Nothing was in bloom, of course, so when spring rolled around the following year we were treated to a yard full of blooming plants of all kinds! The previous owners had left us presents in the form of roses (LOTS of them!), spring bulbs of all varieties, and a bed of berry bushes. My favorite gift they left for us is the row of lilac bushes....trees really, they stand well over 8 to 12 feet tall. They even planted one outside our bedroom window!
Before we moved in, the previous owners had to convert the house from a septic system to the sewer system. One of the lilac bushes had to be removed in the process. In its place we planted another lilac bush....it is slowly catching up with the rest.
The lilacs decided to bloom this past week even though we've had a cold, wet (and snowy) spring so far. The fragrance is almost overwhelming....but I "force" myself to stand near them and take it all in! :) Aaaaaaaah!
Here is a better photo of the baby lilac. It is about four or five (ish) feet now, so in another few years it should be the same size as all the rest!
Yea Spring!~
11 comments:
I love lilacs! I always bring in a bunch for my bathrooms to freshen up the air along with lilly of the valley. Very intoxicating fragrance indeed. Wonderful pictures,:)
Congratulations on your arrival of spring. I too adore lilacs. Your baby one is quite a chip off the old block other trees, tee hee.
Hugs,
Zwee!!!!!
The lilac scent is wonderful but like you wrote as it is here with the blossoms in the fruit orchards, it can be overwhelming. But what a way to suffer... imagine overcome by the fragrance of heady lilac blooms.
Inch for inch though the lily-of-the -valley has no rival for so much fragrance from such a tiny flower.
Enjoy your week and soon the schooling will take a break.
Susan x
I am totally jealous of your lilac 'trees'.
Oh those lilacs! How stunning they are and what a lift to the spirits they must be after such a bleak winter.
Must comment on your new 'face' as well. She is quite beautiful. Does she have a name?
Thank you, Dame Judi (aka Nana!)~
Yes, she is a new face, and I kind of like her too! So much so that she is now my new profile pic for my blog.
No names as of yet....not sure, but I'm thinking of possibly doing a serious of ladies in period hats, bonnets, and caps. So she may be the first in the series.
I roughly sketched her out in pencil, then used a very fine point pen to sketch the likeness further and then erased the pencil lines....so, that is why she is "something new". I've never used a pen before. It was a little intimidating, 'cause once you slip and mess up, the whole thing is ruined! Plus, I wasn't sure how the watercolor paint would react to the pen, even though it said "permanent"! But it didn't bleed, so all was well! (Probably more info than you wanted to know!)Lol!
Thanks everyone...it rained today, which made the lilacs even more fragrant! Judi and Susan, I'll have to plant some lily of the valley...hope it grows here in our climate!
Oh Lilacs...I love them. Mine will be much later blooming, so I am really enjoying the pictures of yours Suzanne. What a lovely line of blooms.
hugs
My dream is to have a whole hedge of lilacs! Beautiful!!! I only wish they lasted longer.
The lilac branches in the glass bottles are so beautiful.
I love the portrait, wonderful! I like to work in this technique but a portrait in ink… Seems very difficult.
I'm happy for you Suzanne that spring has finally sprung in your area...enjoy the sweet smell of all those beautiful Lilacs.
Ruth
Oh wow Suzanne ~ your lilac bushes / trees are beautiful! I don't know if mine will ever get that big!
Your new artwork is so lovely ~ something a friend would enjoy getting for Christmas, even as a print ~ hint, hint! ;)
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