SPRING FLING AT SWEET HOME AND GARDEN CHICAGO

Chicago, February 7, 2009
( Click to enlarge )

With temperatures in the mid-50's yesterday I decided to have a little Spring-fling of my own to celebrate, even though I know it's too early to really be Spring. I know that rascal groundhog in Pennsylvania saw his shadow but the one at Brookfield Zoo in Chicago didn't even bother to come out of his burrow. I'm thinking and hoping ( until the next big snow ) that Spring's gonna be 6 weeks early this year.

So what did I find under the several feet of snow ( beside frozen dog poop, gum wrappers, plastic grocery bags, etc)? To my surprise, Carol Mackie Daphne ( 1st photo from left ) survived with but one small broken limb. The pinks, sedum and fescue were still blue and alive. This was in my west-facing back garden. The last few photos show the east-facing front which is colder and still has a blanket of snow.

I only invited one guest to join me at this Spring Fling and that was my granddaughter Lea, the latest flower that bloomed in the Sweet Garden Chicago last November.

She's been growing like a weed and is the size of a 4 or 5 month old. She smiles and coos when she sees me, and I'm not prejudiced at all when I say she's the smartest, prettiest and most loveable baby in the world.

My special guest : Sweetpea

Like thousands of Chicagoans we just soaked up the sunshine while dodging the currents of puddles from the melting snow. This was Lea's first real outing since she was born and she really enjoyed it. She met a few of the neighbors and they confirmed my opinion that she was really special.

I can't wait until Spring is here for good so that I can start her on an early road to mastering the fine art of gardening. And, we are looking forward to the real Spring Fling in late May.