GARDEN BLOGGERS DISCOVER SPRING IN CHICAGO

Garden Blogger Joyce (right) from Muum's Musings
and Moi

What do garden bloggers do when they visit another city ? Look for gardens and garden bloggers of course ! So when Joyce from Muum's Musings ( Utah ) arrived in Chicago she contacted me and asked if I'd like to meet up at Lincoln Park Conservatory. I'd never miss such an opportunity like this.

We found Spring in Chicago even though it was still a bit chilly outside. Here are some of the wonderful flowering plants we saw :

Yes----Wisteria !

Gorgeous Yellow Trumpets

Entrance to the Spring Show

Huge Koi happily splashing in the Palm Garden

We had a wonderful afternoon ooing and awing the beautiful azaleas, camellias, gardenias, and orchids in full bloom. The fragrance was wonderful.

The Conservatory is where winter-weary Chicagoans go to lift their spirits and to remember what Spring feels like.

SPRING WILL COME A MONTH EARLIER THIS YEAR

Sedum ( still green ) in Snow

Going from Zone 5 to 9 is so much easier than going from 9 to 5. Other than encountering some heavy rains in Tennessee the road trip back to Chicago was fairly smooth. Snow was piled high and still covered the ground when we arrived. We had the 5th snowiest winter on record, 21 inches more snow than last year. About the only positive thing I can say about that much snow is that it's good for the garden.

March 1 came in like a little lamb and the second was even better with a mild 50-degree Spring-like day. I had too much catching up to do to get outside and enjoy it.

My month in the Florida sunshine was the first time I've been away in the winter for that long and it was a wonderful break that help banish my really bad case of the epitoozies.

Winter's days are numbered and even though March is often cold and snowy Spring will be here one month earlier for me.

Spring in Sweet Garden Chicago
Oh, yes, I remember it well .