Spring Comes to Gardens

The air says spring. The gardens say spring. Each day Mother Nature adds dabs of paint to her canvas, filling out the spaces. Blossoms appear where days before there were just bare branches.



Gardens become lush with flowers. It is all so transient as spring flowers make their short appearances.



Each year the magnolias take my breath away. Stop and admire. They too, display their splendour for just a short time before the leaves take over.  Everything in its own time...

Spring Takes Hold

Spring is a parade of delights as each day brings new changes. Each flower takes its turn, some lasting only days while others linger. I walked up in Summit Woods on May 5. The woods were full of dog-toothed violets (aka trout lily or erythronium americanum). Their splotchy leaves and bright yellow flowers were easy to spot.



We also spotted some sanguinaria canadensis. The trilliums were still reluctant - some leaves but no sign of flowers.



On May 6 a friend and I went to Bois-de-Liesse where the trilliums were starting to open. In most spots, it was still only and occasional flower that revealed itself.



Ferns were starting to unfurl.



And Sanguinaria reached for the sunlight.



Some interesting fungus was growing near a dead log. Anyone know what it is?



A cluster of dogtoothed violets grew near a tree trunk.



I always search out the red trilliums which open before the white ones. They are far less plentiful than their white cousins and so each one seems precious. Did you know that trilliums take 7 - 10 years to go from seed to flower?



Here is a variety of flowers together. Enjoy as they won't last long.

Blossom Time

It's that spectacular time of year when each day looks different. Two hot days brought speedy growth. The blossoms seemed to grow in just days.



Each tree has its own shade of pink.



Each tree comes to life at its own rhythm. Some have leaves that are almost full, others blossoms and some are just starting to send out the first signs of leaves.



On one of our hot days (Wednesday and Thursday the temperature went up to 30°C) the tulips opened wide. Some closed up again as a cold front came through. Tulip season is not long here. Spring brings rapid change before settling in to the lushness of summer.

Spring Takes Hold

Daffodils really signal spring to me. Their sun-soaked colour broadcasts warmth. My eyes feast on their bright presence.



The blue of the scylla complement the bright, yellow daffodils. They run wild over lawns, multiplying each year. Spring rushes in here, no gentle progression from one flower variety to the next. Warm weather speeds growth and each flower vies for our attention.



Branches feel the pulse of sap rushing up them, setting buds. Leaves will soon overshadow them. Already leaves are bursting out of bushes.



Spring - that magical season of growth and change. Each day provides new delights and feeds me with the energy of the season.

First Signs of Spring -again

Our on again off again spring has appeared again. First signs - take 2. After the polar vortex and another brief reappearance of winter yesterday morning, spring is once again trying to take hold.



I always like the appearance of scilla. They are tentatively showing their colour, not yet blanketing lawns.

Walking on Mont-Royal

A perfect day for a walk - with the sun shining and the temperature rising.



While the city sidewalks are fairly bare, snow still lingers on Mont-Royal.



You could hear water rushing as the melting snow found its way down the hill. Sounds of chickadees, a woodpecker and the call of a crow accompanied our walk.




You could smell the arrival of spring




Under a perfect blue sky. Joggers in shorts, walkers, cyclists and even a cross-country skier - all were out enjoying the sunshine.



These Montreal policemen were patrolling the mountain. Not a bad assignment - a slow ride on a sunny day seeing all the smiling faces enjoying the spring weather.

A Springlike Day

Photos: March 23, 2016

A springlike day melts the last of the snow and ice off the trees. It is just a respite at this up and down time of the year.



The snow is slowly filling the lagoon with melt off - providing a mirror for the sky.



The bushes harbour feathered creatures. Sometimes they are hard to spot - their singing seems to emanate from the branches themselves. Spring is in the air.

Spring is Slowly Coming

Almost there. These are the first crocuses I have spotted. They are in a protected, sunny spot. Shoots are poking up in many gardens. Spring is early this year.



While the day started with some new fallen snow, it ended with snowdrops. I cherish these early blooms - growth after the sleep of winter. The change of seasons brings magic.

Blossoms and More Blossoms

The air is scented with the many blossoms that have emerged in the last few days. Where not long ago there were bare brunches now everything has come into bloom. Not much fun for the allergy sufferers as all the trees seems to be releasing their pollen simultaneously!



But, oh what a feast for the eyes! There seem to be blossoms in every shade of pink. A profusion of petals!



It is impossible not to stop and stare with delight, to take in the delicacy, to let oneself ponder a single blossom in the midst of the sea of flowers.



Soon this show will be over and green will overtake the pinks. Spring is the season of changes when each day demands that Mother Nature's work be admired.

Spring in a Rush

No time here for spring - it happens in a rush. Our temperatures jump around in so-called spring with days of summer-like weather interspersed with cooler spring temperatures. A week of "summer" has jolted all the flowers and leaves to grow at once.



Tulips share the stage with daffodils, primroses and all sorts of spring blooms. Magnolias bloomed and dropped within a week.




What a pleasure to see the plethora of colours after the white of winter.



Each day brings new changes from blossoms to leaves. The world around is bursting into colour.

It's Really Here

It felt like it would never come, but as happens in Montreal, spring suddenly appeared with temperatures in the teens (C)  and growth has been rapid. Although traces of snow can still be seen in north-facing wooded areas in parks, or where there are remnants of snow banks in parking lots, it feels as if winter is long past. We suddenly have collective amnesia about the cold and don our lighter clothing, walking about with our faces turned towards the sun.



Flowers seem to grow before our eyes. One day sprouts poke up and the next day blooms start to appear. Everything seems to be in a rush to make an appearance. Each day the landscape changes.



No slow spring here! No time to savour each new growth. Spring is here in a rush.

Glorious May

I think May is the most glorious time of the year. The blossoms blow me away with their beauty. In every shade of pink these trees bring joy around the city.

Walks are not quite as cardio-effective as I stop to admire each tree.



Even the dandelions bring beauty. Time to accept them as flowers and not as weeds. I love to see their sunny faces.

Finally the pond in the park near me is filled with water. Last year it was plagued with leaking and could not hold the water. The quiet reflections add to the peacefulness of the day. Each day new flowers grow, the trees grow their blooms then drop their petals. The magnolias are now just trees with leaves. These fruit trees are taking their time in the spotlight. Lilacs are sharing their heady scent. The scene keeps changing - the merry month of May.

Through Parc Bois-de-Liesse

Take a walk with me through Bois-de-Liesse where the forest is coming to life.



A carpet of trilliums covers the forest floor. It is definitely the height of the trillium season. Some are starting to fade into pink.



We spotted one red trillium; its bloom was drooping down.



New growth - changes from day to day.







I had to keep stopping to admire. The only drawback were the mosquitoes that have emerged from the still waters. I am afraid there are a few less than when we arrived. Some of my swatting hit the mark.