What happened to that little ditty I learned way back in elementary school about “March winds, April showers, help bring May flowers?” I guess that was long before our weather got wacky and morphed seasons together in such a nonsensical manner.
Here in Southeast Michigan, April’s weather was a rollercoaster of unusual up-and-down temps, high winds, lots of rain (sometimes torrential), an EF-1 tornado, then, on Sunday, April 19th, the weather folks advised us to cover up our plants as we would have a hard freeze that night.
Sure enough, on Monday morning, an icy-white glaze covered all the freshly shorn lawns. Even the dandelions, so plentiful and perky had been zapped – not to worry, they rallied back by day’s end! It was 30F (-1C), with a real feel of 23F (-5C) when I stepped out the door on Monday morning – sure, I didn’t need my snow boots, but I was wearing all my warm woolens, i.e. hat, gloves, sweats and a heavy coat when I left on my walk.
As I don’t have a garden, I did NOT have sensitive plants that needed covering up before this unwelcome frost, but, since frosty weather loomed, I decided to do a Sunday stroll in the ‘hood to check out the flowering trees and even the hardy bulb plants which had already emerged after temps in the 80s just a few days before! There’s never a dull moment weather-wise these days, that’s for sure!
Magnificent Magnolias don’t stand a chance in freezing temps.
My first stop out the door was standing beneath my neighbor’s Magnolia tree. It had just blossomed out and was beautiful, but, because it was a bit breezy, I watched the wind stripping the blossoms from the trees and dotting the grass with a sea of pink petals. I figured “best take a picture of this tree now before the rest of the blossoms are gone when you return from your walk.”
My next stop was Memorial Park.
I meandered over to this park, where I try to stop with the camera a few times during the Spring and Summer months. There are several raised garden beds maintained by volunteers of the City’s Garden Club. In the Spring, the early bloomers add some color to the park and in the Summertime the bright-orange Butterfly Weed is a magnet for pollinators like bees and butterflies.
I was lucky because there were Tulips galore, some with petals still closed up tight and others already opened up. Here a few of them.
A mixture of white and yellow Daffodils nodded their heads in the breeze.
Not to be outdone by the usual early bloomers, a row of tiny pink hearts peeked out between the leaves of a Bleeding Heart plant.
There were some dandelions at Memorial Park – not as many as I’d seen on my way over here though.
This cute black squirrel was munching on something …
… but, when it saw me, it looked at me expectantly. I could see it was a nursing mother. Umm – did I have “Peanut Lady” emblazoned on my forehead? Surely it wasn’t a squirrel from Council Point Park? Since I planned to visit my furry and feathered friends after taking flower photos, I had treats. I tossed it a few peanuts and it stayed there, unsure whether to come closer … nope, it was too skittish and I had to back up and walk away before it dashed over to check out its windfall.
I checked the trees for any nesting birds, even though I thought it was a tad early – no luck, so I headed out to the ‘hood to see what flowers were blooming there.
There were more Hyacinths like you see in the featured photo. After a Winter that didn’t want to quit and the blah landscape that followed, these bright pinks and purples were a sight for sore eyes.
These are Grape Hyacinths.
These dainty flowers are Periwinkles.
The last time I walked past these Hostas, they had just emerged from the ground – I was surprised how much they had grown.
Those ground-level Hostas were just the right height for the Cottontail bunnies in the ‘hood to enjoy. We have a large Cottontail living in the next-door neighbor’s yard, but it bolts every time I open the screen door, so there’s no use trying to get a photo of it.
Perhaps the Cottontails would like to congregate at this house … a dandelion-munching feast could be had and still enough dandelions left for dandelion wine! A friend’s mom used to brew up a batch every Spring and I always think of her when I see a mess o’ dandelions like this. How many dandelions would you guesstimate are here?
No ‘hood stroll would be complete without …
… wandering over to Winchester Avenue, especially in lieu of my recent post about this venue. This time of year, I try to get over there to see all the pink Tulips, but only a few were open. There are usually lots of pink Tulips, but perhaps they are different varieties, early versus late bloomers? I was content to see these two at the side of the house and …
… this Tulip with a whimsical stone bunny almost within sniffing and/or munching distance. (Wait – Tulips don’t smell, do they?)
It looked like this was a new frog settled amongst the mushrooms.
I noticed a new birdhouse, but no occupants yet. I will pop back here in a few weeks and see if it is occupied.
Suddenly it was déjà vu as a dark cloud was trying the monopolize the sky which had been blue with cottony clouds, just a few minutes earlier. Should I stay or should I go? I remember the last time I lingered too long here and got caught in a downpour. At least it had been warm that day – it was cold and rain was definitely not welcome. A sprinkling of colorful flowers to liven up the landscape was nice … a sprinkling of rain not so much!
I had toted along some peanuts and seeds, intending to make the Park my last stop, but the sky looked more ominous by the minute, so weenie that I am, I headed home.
“Wildlife” is definitely scarce when you opt for a walk in the ‘hood. If you’re lucky, you’ll hear a woodpecker drilling into a tree, but on this day, it was a sullen-looking American Robin posing near a tree.
I glanced upward, hopeful to see a nest I could monitor for chicks going forward, but nothing was there … yet. Robins like to build their nests in inopportune places sometimes, like the bend of a homeowner’s coach lights, or where the gutters and downspout meet as it provides the opportunity for a nest away from the drizzle, warm and dry to raise their chicks.
It wasn’t the most-stimulating, nor picture-laden walk I’ve ever taken, but it would suffice to get some flower photos before Mother Nature waved her Winter-like wand once again.
Terri’s Sunday Stills Challenge this week is: “Bicycles and Biking (May is National Bike Month)” I will be linking this post to Terri’s “Flower Hour” and Pepper’s “One Step at a Time” later in the week.
Linda Schaub
WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY 
Hello Linda, you sure did capture some amazing flowers on the hood walk – thanks for a floral lift – great variety of blooms and the Grape Hyacinths were new to me.
Also, I did not know the ditty started with March winds….
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Thanks Yvette! I knew I’d better get out there before everything disappeared after the frost zapped them! A homeowner in the next block has Snowdrops and they often bloom in late February or early March, even pushing up through the snow. I didn’t get out like I usually do this Winter, so I missed them if they sprouted. We had such a brutally cold and icy/snowy Winter, I doubt they even came up to be honest. The Grape Hyacinths are smaller than regular Hyacinths and the blooms resemble grapes because they are rounded and also because they are dark purple. That ditty worked well when we had more normal seasonal weather. I think they need to revamp it!
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😊 I think they need to revamp it too
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Lots of flowers and the usual friends met along the way
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Brian, I was hoping for a few Cottontail bunnies as well on this neighborhood jaunt. When I am in the car or otherwise without the camera, I see them hopping around but they weren’t there that day. The squirrels always pique my interest – these days I see them more in the neighborhood than at Council Point Park which disheartens me after 13 years of walking there – their habitat was destroyed so they have moved on.
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That would have been good to spot a few bunnies Linda. Well habitat destruction always causes displacement and hopefully have found a better place.
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I hope so too Brian – it was my favorite place to walk for so many years and gone in a heartbeat. Those Cottontails are so cute, but also so fast!
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Beautiful spring flowers!
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Yes, after a brutal Winter, seeing the early bloomers is just plain good for the soul. I had to take those shots of the Magnolias since it was pretty lackluster by the next morning!
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Your neighbor’s magnolia is magnificent! I love tulips, especially the pink ones, but they are past season and not often grown down here because the deer gobble them up while not even touching the daffodils. Those bleeding hearts look so pretty and delicate. Maybe the cute black squirrel will come to be a new friend for you. Enjoyed walking around your neighborhood with you.
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I’m glad you enjoyed the walk with me Barbara! It’s always a joy when the early blooming flowers come out, along with the flowering trees. The weather folks had warned us all weekend to cover our plants – no one had planted or put out baskets yet as it was too cold, but the bulb plants were already up. The Magnolia did not look so pretty the next day. I have looked for this squirrel when I go to the Park, though I don’t go as frequently now that the squirrel population there seems to diminish by the day. I hope it is because they have moved to the neighborhood for nesting and any handouts.
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I am not a gardener, but I love the beauty of the spring flowers.
I had a magnolia tree at my last house. I lived there for 6 or 7 years and got decent blooms only 2 of them, my first and last. When it bloomed, it was spectacular!
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I love the beauty of spring flowers too JP, but I admit I have never planted any bulbs at the house to enjoy them here, so I have to go out in the neighborhood. My father planted tulip bulbs the first year we moved here and the squirrels dug them up, took one bite and threw the rest of the bulb away – he found them while doing Spring clean-up. The Magnolia trees are beautiful and I wish they lasted longer. My neighbor’s tree blooms multiple times a year now – it has been planted there for awhile and it only bloomed in May, once and done, ’til the following May. Very strange behavior!
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I remember my mother always being so sad when the frost came after the magnolia trees bloomed. I don’t have a magnolia tree, so I’m good. I’m glad I waited until memorial day weekend to plant stuff.
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I’ve never had a Magnolia tree either, so I have to enjoy the neighbor’s tree which was indeed zapped by that heavy frost we had. But this tree now blooms several times a year, something it never used to do … it was every May, once and done. A victim of climate change I guess. I never planted before Memorial Day weekend either, although when I spent a lot of time gardening, I got all my annuals during Mother’s Day week when they had a good selection. They’d go in the garage every night and every morning, I’d pull them out to water them and put them in the sun and still be on time for the early bus.
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Love this post, Linda. It is full of whimsy and happiness. 👏
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Thank you Pepper! It was a fun and maybe even frantic stroll to get all the flower photos taken before Mother Nature waved her frosty wand!
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So worth the frantic scroll.
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Yes, because you never know how things will look afterward!
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Exactly! 😉
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These are wonderful photos from you, Linda! I especially like the black squirrels!
We are supposed to get a Super El Niño this summer, so it will likely get very hot often.
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Thank you Tom! I wanted to catch the early Spring blooms before we had that killing frost which sadly zapped all the Magnolia blossoms on this tree. I keep hearing about that Super El Niño; in fact, several weather forecasters mentioned it again today since it is the first day of Meteorological Summer. It will be worse than last Summer they say, plus heat spikes = severe weather. I have been enjoying this stretch of good weather we’ve had, eight days of coolish temps and low humidity so far, so I got out quite a bit to get photos and long walks in. We are having storms beginning Friday for four days, then the heat sets in. Ugh!
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very rarely is the weather perfect! Usually too much of this or not enough of that!
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I know Wayne – plus we are never happy with the current weather for the most part and find fault with it, (that includes me), except right now! Right now, we are in day eight of perfect weather, blue skies, low humidity, temps in the low 70s. It’s been great, but it falls apart Friday when we get storms/rain for four days, then the heat arrives. I saw Luc this morning and, when I arrived at the enclosure it was just him/I but within minutes there was a field trip going on and all these kids arrived on bicycles, left them under a tree and raced over to see Luc. Poor guy never gets THAT much attention. Luc stayed up top though and just watched everyone, including me.
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I hope Luc has a good summer!
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I hope so too Wayne. I’m guessing now that Summer is out, more people will be taking their kids to this park and hopefully he gets more interaction and is not so lonely/bored.
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Well, I think this is a wonderful collection of spring delights, Linda.
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Thank you Eilene – they are always a treat to see after a long, cold Winter!
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What a lovely post!!
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Thank you Anne! As you know from your New York days, after a brutal Winter which often lingers too long, it is wonderful to watch Spring unfold.
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Gorgeous flowers! I especially like the two-toned tulips. April was a terrible month, weather-wise, and May was up and down. Let’s hope we get a long stretch of good days now. 🤞
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I’m glad you liked the flowers Debbie! When Spring finally rolled out, after a too long, too cold and too icy Winter, it was wonderful to watch all the flowers help add some color to the blah landscape. I like those two-toned tulips too – they’re unusual looking. We are now day #9 of beautiful weather here, sunny, low humidity and temps in the 70s. A few more days, then we get stormy and a little heat wave begins which is too bad. It has been great while it lasted.
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The architect in me love the “new birdhouse”. I also enjoyed almost all of the blooms you show… except the magnolia. Full disclosure: I have never been a fan of magnolias. Something about those massive blooms and their tendency to droop makes them unattractive to me. Having said that, magnolias are ALL over the South, so I guess I’d better learn to make peace with them 😉
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That is quite a snazzy birdhouse Dave – I agree with you! How many birdhouses have two stories? I like to see Magnolias but would not want one. They are in bloom for only days and then the petals drop and make a big mess everywhere. My neighbor’s Magnolia blooms several times in the growing season now – that never happened in the past. It was every May, once and done. For years we had a Honey Locust tree out front. Every Spring it had flowers, not flashy like a Weeping Cherry, but when it lost its leaves in the Fall, each of the tiny leaves was on a long stem – the small leaves would stick to your shoes and the sidewalk/porch and the stems would go everywhere. You could sweep every day and if the stems and leaves got wet, they were slick. Then the tree got Carpenter Ants and was cut down. Needless to say it was not replaced with another Honey Locust!
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Despite the weather it was still an enjoyable walk. Loved the hyacinths, and the tulips, and wow that was a lot of dandelions!
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Yes, it was a really nice walk Joni, even if it was chilly. A lot of people had flowers and I know most of them would survived after that killing frost. Isn’t that amazing with the dandelions! I used to cut each dandelion out by hand for years, but no one deals with their dandelions anywhere anymore, whether it is avoiding pesticides or whatever, so when they go to seed, they end up all over anyway, so why bother? Thankfully that was not my lawn. 🙂 We’ve had some great weather here, nine days in a row of sunny skies, coolish temps and no humidity. It ends on Friday as we have several days of rain, then it gets hot.
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I think a lot of people are doing the No Mow May thing, to leave the dandelions for the bees.
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I think people are doing No Mow May too – we need the bees. But we had a lot of rain, then cooler temps and the grass was growing like crazy, so no mow might have been tough to do!
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my neighbour had a meadow in his back yard…I don’t know how he got his lawnmower through it. today is beautiful out – I’ve been spray-painting, as little wind….but then 4 days of rain coming up this weekend.
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I am always amazed how people with gas mowers can mow the lawn just hours after a rain. Because I always had an electric mower, when we would have days on end of rain and the grass grew like crazy in April and May, I got a push mower. I wouldn’t use it on wet grass, but it did a great job cutting long grass where the electric mower would have been strained to get the grass cut or blow a fuse trying. You had good weather for spraypainting. We have that same weather and the heat and humidity comes along with it making a return starting Friday.
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I don’t know anyone who uses an electric mower in my subdivision as the the yards are too big. My grasscutter cut another ladies, and she was forever recharging it in the middle of a cut. I got all the spraypainting done today, and some other painting too, as I wanted to get ahead of the rain.
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I’m not sure I’d want a lithium battery-powered lawnmower. The small yard equipment powered by a lithium battery are fine as they charge quickly and my weed whacker came with an extra battery so it was good for the front and back yards. There was a fire last week in a garage with an e-bike was parked, but it was not being charged at the time but the lithium battery exploded. Very scary! There are a lot of lithium battery fires. Scary stuff. Yes, today was another low humidity day which was nice – tomorrow not so much and one meteorologist says it will be very hot (90s) after the storms for six days – the others don’t say that so I hope the majority rule.
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I never ever weeded them out….the lawn at the farm was full of them and I liked them, especially the orchard – it was sunny looking.
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Joni, I think dandelions are pretty too, especially after the blah landscape of Winter, it is nice to see some color. I was surprised how quickly those dandelions bounced back after the heavy frost. I should have taken a picture of them, frost covered and flattened.
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yes, a before and after picture!
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It was incredible to see their “comeback” after the sun came out and warmed things up, as they all sprang back to life!
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Miss Linda………………..Thank you for all of the colorful early Sprintime flowers especially of the tulips……………………………I didn’t see a lot of tulips this spring………………..
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You’re welcome Ann Marie – there were lots of Springtime flowers in the neighborhood and always at the Volunteer Garden at Memorial Park, which also has Irises but I didn’t get back there to see them. I wonder if our weather had anything to do with the Spring flowers, including the tulips as it was so cold for so long, then that heat wave. They were worried in Holland, Michigan that the tulips were opening early when we had those few very hot days.
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Beautiful flowers! I love all the different colours. Cute garden decorations, I like the bunny. The weather is sure getting crazier and crazier isn’t it?
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Susan, those flowers were like a breath of fresh air after this horribly long Winter. I do like that garden on Winchester Avenue and I’ve been back a couple of times, still hoping to see the owner and tell him how much I like it. Are you still on a tour/vacation – where are you now?
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We are still in Java, Indonesia, and we are here until Tuesday and then we fly to Bali. It’s been a great trip but very tiring. I haven’t been posting a lot on Facebook or anything else because by the end of the day I’m just exhausted lol
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Are your days jam-packed with sightseeing or it is still really warm there that it’s wearing you out? I remember early on in this trip you said it was very hot there. The heat saps you by day’s end too.
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A bit of both I think. It is very hot here, but we have very long days. Today we were up at 3 AM to hike up to a mountain to see the sunrise.🙄
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That is a long day, but I’ll bet the tour director gave you a spectacular view. I remembered you said it was hot a week or so ago. I’ll bet you turn in early on those days. 🙂
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Despite the weather whiplash, you caught some great shots of spring flowers. I love the magnolia blooms! Other than our mountain afternoon thunderstorms, fairly mild now, summer is coming. Everything is really green and new florals are popping up. Looks like you kind of made a new squirrel friend, Linda. Thanks for sharing all those flowers 💐
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Thanks Terri! They all seemed to bloom at one time which made for a colorful walk after months of seeing the barren and drab landscape. We are having stellar weather here, day #10 of gorgeous sun, blue skies and today it started getting warmer (80) …one more day of perfect weather, then some rain/storms. I think my new squirrel friend was thinking “please help me with some real food Linda – eating these dandelions is getting kind of old!”
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I don’t think that bunny was smelling the tulip, Linda. I think it was ready to take a bite! LOL!
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Good point Ruth! It got tired of eating nothing but dandelions and needed something sweet for its diet!
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Lovely spring photos and lovely colors of tulips. Some people don’t like dandelions, but I think that a mess o’ dandelions is quite beautiful. So glad you shared this walk.
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Thanks Rebecca! It was so good to see the color brightening our drab landscape, even though the frost made them short-lived. I also think dandelions are beautiful. For years I cut out each one out of the yard as it popped up, but then I realized it was pointless as no one else pulled/cut them out and they went to seed and went everywhere anyway. Now I leave them and enjoy the color along with the purple Violets sharing the lawn with them. 🙂
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A beautiful combination and the bees love them too. 🙂
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Yes and we can use all the happy and productive bees we can get!
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