Gardeners are all a twitter as spring approaches … just five days until the calendar tells us winter is over.  A slow, careful stroll around my Connecticut gardens – and some very close inspection –  says the calendar is not too far off. We may still have some snow in our near future but, more and more, spring is taking hold.

I found the promise of crocus blooms here and there.

Another crocus promise showed up in an unexpected place. It must have been moved by one of the underground designers that occasionally attempts to improve on my bulb placements. Madame or Monsieur Vole obviously decided that at least one of the crocus bulbs I carefully placed in front of a boxwood would look better a foot away among some lamb's ear.

Madame or Monsieur Vole, and perhaps their bebe voles, left a few crocus to bloom on one side of my front steps. I guess they had their fill after completely devouring a patch planted on the other side of the steps.  Each patch used to be about an eight inch circle of bloom. Now I'm happy to see a handful of blooms.

Elsewhere, narcissi promise to bloom soon. Those along the driveway (left photo) are not quite as tall as those planted along the foundation of the house (right photo).

Other narcissi are showing signs of an unwelcome nighttime visitor. Don't let anyone tell you that deer won't nibble narcissi. The proof is in the photo below. Looks like I'll have to start covering these and nearby crocus with overturned apple baskets each night. It's the only way I was able to enjoy flowers from these bulbs last year. I hope the deer that nibbled these had a horrible belly ache!

In areas not available to deer, lilac and rose shrubs are showing early signs of spring.

Inside is slightly more colorful.

Violets – what would I do without winter violet color - continue to bloom.

My Thanksgiving cactus has decided she wants a name change.  Spring cactus, anyone?

And some store-bought tulips steal the tabletop show.

Now head over to May Dreams Gardens where Carol hosts Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day. You'll find many, many – probably hundreds – of photos of gardens in bloom from all over the world. Like I said, gardeners are all a twitter … just five days till SPRING!

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