Alive and Kicking!

is what my garden is today. Such a relief after weeks of being cooped up inside, desperate for the garden to show us a leaf, give us a bloom, anything, something, if only a smidgen, and now it has, and how!




If you are in need of some uplifting play the vid and don't be ashamed to do the Snoopy Dance of Joy because you are alive and kicking too!




For those of you who are not quite sure what the Snoopy Dance of Joy actually is, watch this tutorial above.

Since last Sunday we have had sunshine every day and that has made such a difference to the garden, suddenly it has woken up and it certainly is alive and kicking.
I was a bit worried about the new border where most new plants had gone in last October and then we had this very cold winter with lots of frost and temperatures around minus 15 C. We haven't had temperatures like that for ages and I could only keep my fingers crossed that my new plants had found enough time to put down some roots before Winter struck with a vengeance.
And while I was weeding the new border yesterday I found that most plants are alive and kicking as they are already pushing up leaves. I think that at least 95 % has survived. Phew! The new border is still a bit bare so that means lots of weeding this year.
But it's fun to see the first spring in my new border with Irises making their debut,
my beautiful Hellebore that was transplanted last Autumn doing quite well,
the new Hellebore that's really showing off its beautiful flowers,
the pretty daffodils that are waving their golden trumpets about with gay abandon,
the grape hyacinths poking their sleepy heads through the sun kissed earth,
and, to my surprise, I found the first tulip showing off its pretty spring frock yesterday.
Close to the birdbath I found this little ornamental grass with its frivolous bottle brushes and on the lawn I caught Mr Toad doing his rounds. Another one that's alive and kicking!
It was very nice and warm outside, around 16 C, and as it was sunny and my back garden is very sheltered I was able to garden wearing only jeans and a t-shirt. In March! Gobsmackingly amazing, wouldn't you say?
Although it was decidedly Spring-y in the garden, in the conservatory Summer reigned with temperatures of 26 C. No wonder all members of the Bliss team were in the conservatory alive and snoozing!
Of course I had to bring a bit of Spring sunshine into the living room. It may not be Spring officially yet, but it certainly feels that way here so I thought I'd share it with the many of my garden blogging friends who are still waiting for Spring to knock at their garden gates. Hope this post and vid has brought a bit of Spring to you today and that you are about to indulge in a spot of Snoopy Dancing. You know you want to!

copyright 2009 Y.E.W. Heuzen

A garden is a good place for a person who doesn't like authority, who likes sharing authority, who doesn't like feeling helpless and who doesn't like making others feel helpless. I would even say that the garden is the perfect place for the exercise of democracy.
Jamaica Kincaid