I guess it stands to reason that after having the coldest-est winter in recent memory, we would also be drenched with the wettest spring... March has apparently gotten it all wrong, being more unreasonable and demanding: taking control over the 'April Showers' season, as well as the usual windy "let's all make heavy, un-flyable kites during art class" season. It hasn't been that long since we were standing out looking up at the sky, praying for rain, stewing over low water-table drought conditions. And now reading about flooding rivers and overwhelmed watershed lakes.
Thankfully, I live at the top of a nice safe hill, so I can look out the window and see Glorious Spring.
The hyacinths are blooming like maniacs, always bringing to mind my grandmother R. She was probably not five feet tall in her 'spectator pumps', but had no problem instructing her faithful, ancient yard man in his duties. She had him planting hyacinth bulbs every fall for a row of beautiful blooms across the front of her house in a curving bed each spring... I suspect he 'wondered' about her when she then had him dig them up and tuck the bulbs away in the bottom of the refrigerator over the summer, to repeat the process again in the fall. When I look out or wander in yard and see the dozens of bulbs blooming their fool heads off, this time of year, I always think of her. My crop is exclusively 'rescued' (diverted from the dumpster when they have 'bloomed out' and no longer sell-able, having been forced to bloom out of season in some Canadian greenhouse)... but they apparently can't forget what was programmed into their genes, because they are really putting on a show all over the place, popping up from the leaf mulch out under the trees surrounding the house.
There are even more daffodils than hyacinths... I have always been a fool for daffodils, and belatedly find that they seem to be more temperamental when they are rescued. My dad always said (yes: right as usual!) that after bulbs were 'forced' to bloom, they never would perform as well... and I believe it is true of daffodils and narcissus. But those hyacinths: wow!
Also huge, spreading, expanding, multiplying forsythia bushes. These were transplanted from Quitman, but imported from Virginia when my mom was there in the spring, and apparently decided south Georgia needed those early-blooming, bright yellow smile-inducing plants. Before they start putting out leaves, and are covered in tiny yellow blossoms, I am reminded of the clouds of yellow-sulfur butterflies that used to billow up along dirt roads in Brooks County in the summer when you would breeze through under the inter-laced, overhanging branches of live oak trees.
If you want any of the tiny little 'snow drop' bulbs that seem to 'come up twice' (a "Choppy-ism"), let me know. I will dig some after they finish blooming and save for you. The little white bell-shaped blooms are slightly reminiscent of 'lily of the valley', but there is only one 'bell' per stem, instead of several. These came from Grandmothers' yard as well, so they have a sweet history, and precious memories attached: her daughter dug them up when she was renovating the house, and gave me a bag full that have multiplied like... mice? rabbits? bulbs?
Happy Spring...
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