A glance at my 2014 Holiday cards

I know the Holiday season just ended a couple of months ago, I still have decorations to pack away.
With all the cold and snow that we have had here in Michigan, some things are still hard to get to.
Extension cords are still lost under heavy Ice blocks, evergreen branches are buried under mountains of snow. You need full head to toe snow armor just to get into some yards.
Spring is right around the corner according to the calendar, but it won't come over night here. There are man made snow plow mountains over ten feet tall that will take several weeks to melt away no matter what the calendar says. These are the dog-day's of winter.

So while I wait for spring and the gardening season to start up I like to get a jump start on my Holiday cards.
Some time ago I began making my own cards to send out to friends and family, and now since there is not much to do in the garden ...except shovel snow, it's a perfect time to get these cards together. If I wait till November, I feel rushed, as each one is made from cut paper, they do take some time to create.

Some years the card designs are simple, this is not one of those designs. 

"Enjoy the magic of the season" is my theme, set in a woodland, complete with flying Reindeer and Foxes.

So while I wait for spring, I'll be cutting, and gluing, and cutting, and gluing. This is what I do.

The Tulips of Last spring

With all the winter, the snow, the cold,  the Ice, the Polar Vortex I thought it would be a great time to share with you all some visions of spring from last year.
Especially the Tulip plantings. 

Tulips to me signify spring. When I see tulips emerging from the soil I know that spring is not far off.
I regularly check the soil to look for emerging tulips right after the snow melts. 

Of course there are other spring flowers such as snowdrops, daffodils and crocus that bloom in early spring before the tulips,  but to me don't compare to the announcement of spring the way tulips do.

Planted in the fall here in Michigan, they signify the end of one growing season, and a promise for the next.

I believe that when Gardeners plant tulips in the fall, they will live to see the flowers come next spring.

My gardens are still under snow right now, the Tulips are safe and sound.....protected.

They promise to give me the same joy as they did the year before.

The same smile from a year ago.

And I will fall in love with Gardening all over again.

Hurry up spring, and don't be late. I'm ready to fall in love again, and I'm ready for the tulips......aren't you?

The Belle Isle Conservatory

Detroit has been given a bad name recently. As a resident, I find it my responsibility to share with you some of  the great attractions that the city still has to offer.........." It ain't all bad"

The Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory (1904) is one of these

gems.

My Husband Christopher and I went for a visit. The Conservatory is on an Island park in the Detroit river with Detroit on one side, and Canada on the other.

Inside the Conservatory the atmosphere was warm and balmy.

A welcome departure from this notorious winter, and a cure for cabin fever.

Here's a look at some of what we enjoyed on a cold winter afternoon.

This I like.

Ice caves

A glance at the Ice Caves in the Apostle Islands National Lake shore in Northern Wisconsin. The lake is finally frozen hard enough to make these photo's possible. 

The photo's are by Barbara Alwes

Yep we are still enjoying the beauty of this season.