Sunday, April 12, 2009

The colors of spring


Springtime in the flatlands finds the landscape brightened by colorful pansies. They are the “go to” flower for the cool spring months. You can find their happy, open faces framed by almost every shade of color found in nature.

While I love them all, and want them all, I always end up buying the brilliant yellow ones. I put them in pots on my back steps where that splash of sunshine can be frequently enjoyed. As I exit the garage for my house, they seem to dance in the breeze and offer a friendly “Welcome home.”

Today I feature them as my contribution to Mellow Yellow Monday.

For the past ten spring seasons I have been lucky enough to work part time at a sweet garden nursery not far from my home. For those two months, it is without a doubt the best job to be had. I’m outside in the sun, enjoying fresh air, playing in the dirt and talking about plants.


The discount on flowers is also a definite perk. By the end of the season, typically I have made just enough money to pay for what I purchased. The new stuff I learn and the friendships I make are an especially satisfying bonus.


Also pictured here are my back porch pots, which along with pansies, contain lovely linaria. And the rose-like beauties are ranunculus. All of these plants are what we refer to at the nursery as DBJs – dead by June. Nursery humor. But the sad fact is that their tender anatomy cannot tolerate the summer heat of the flatlands.

Wherever you are, I hope you enjoy the colors of spring. Maybe not quite yet, but soon.

20 comments:

Teddy Westlife said...

Your yellow flowers are just beautiful!

And no, that wasn't me who jumped into the polar bear enclosure - I have seen them up close in the wild and that was enough to scare me - they are stunning but fearsome creatures.

Trace

♥♥ Willa ♥♥ said...

pretty sets of yellow flowers!
MellowYellowMonday

MYM said...

I love, LOVE pansies! I always have some on my balcony ... it's a bit too cold here yet tho ... but mine will be yellow just like these!

Sally in WA said...

Very pretty pansies. A great contribution to Mellow Yellow Monday.

Nancy said...

Your pots are so pretty! I love the purple pansies (yellow too, of course). We're not quite in the 'pots on the balcony' season yet - snow still on the ground.

Thanks for stopping by my blog -

prkl said...

It's so nice to see that spring has arrived in so many places around the globe. We still have some snow and ice here, as you can see in my entry taken two days ago. I so miss the spring. Thanks for the head start for this spring! :)

Fadil Wimala said...

beautiful yellow flowers you have there.. :)

Regina said...

Pretty flowers..

Fadil Wimala said...

btw, painting is only my hobby. I only do it on spare time.. I focus on my study right now, but my dream in the future is also to be able to sell my works :)

Leah J. Utas said...

Lovely splash of color. Brightened my morning.

Coreopsis said...

Ah--a fellow flatlander! I love your flower pictures. The daffodils are still glorious (second round) and the violets and vinca are competing for subtle--you have to walk around and LOOK.

Anonymous said...

When I was growing up, our village was filled with cherry blossom trees, so spring was always signified by the pink and white blosssoms everywhere. To this day I love those trees. And seeing flowers in the flower beds. Sigh!

Lori E said...

If I worked at a nursery I would still owe them money at the end of the season. With all I have spent at my local garden centres I am sure I have put their kids through college.
Yellow flowers are always the best performers in my garden.

Eleonora Baldwin said...

Oh Pat, your pansies are gorgeous! In Italia si chiamano Pansè. How I wish I had a porch (or a yard for that matter) so I could proudly display my DBJ potted beauties. I'd love to work in a garden nursery too, can I tag along and lend a hand?

Dianne said...

wonderful flowers! the top photo is my favorite

MediMonsters said...

Love the pansies!!

Kathleen said...

Yellow flowers...sigh...I gave my mother 18 yellow roses when I left home for college. They were her favorite flower. Thank you for reminding me of the beauty of yellow flowers. Maybe this will be the year I return to my peace garden, a skinny, shady strip of woodland on the east side of my house. So hard to find colorful perennials and wild grasses that will grow there. Suggestions welcome.

earthtoholly said...

Hi and thank you for commenting on my blog.

Your pansies here are beautiful! I took some pics of pansies a few weeks ago, but they didn't turn out. :o( Glad that yours did...very nice! :o)

Coreopsis said...

Hi--I just read your comment again on my blog, and I wanted to say that I'm so MAD at your parents. Piano and accordion aren't the same things at all, and it's a lifetime of pleasure she was depriving you of to not let you take piano lessons. The only thing I can think of is if you didn't already have a piano, accordions ARE less expensive, but still....

Tess said...

Your flowers are absolutely gorgeous! I am hoping that I can word my front yard this spring and summer. Thanks for visiting mine and leaving a nice comments.