Tulip Time

Though we are back to cold temperatures, my tulips have never been blooming in May 17th, Norway's Constitutional Day, before. This year their beauty sends out flirtatious vibes. I was out photographing early this morning, and the buds were not open yet. Later today they will unfold their hearts offering love to the world.

The white ball like ones are supposed to be red with white stripes when they open. I am excited to see.

I don't need diamonds and pearls.....

"What do you want for your 50th birthday?" my husband asked. I couldn't give him an answer right away and thought about it for days. A diamon ring? A golden necklace? The world was mine and I could choose on its top shelf.

But I don't have much need for diamons and pearls, and hesitated to put it on top of my wish list.

Suddenly I knew the answer to Terje's question. "I want your loving hands in the garden!"

His hands are working in the garden just as much as mine are, but his gift for me will be some special project. First the kitchen veranda will get a well deserved face lift. Second I want a potting shed. Third.......wel,, that's not decided yet.

How long will I be able to claim extra working hours from him :-)

Old memories......and tulips soon in bloom

Grandma Olga lived in an old red house. She was widowed only two months after I was born in 1958, and when her grandchildren started to come she had alot of time available for us. I loved spending the night with granny, alone or with cousin Oddbjørg who was one year older than me and my hero through most of my childhood. Grandma's red house had a huge garden, with the best treat a little girl could imagine, a secret garden made by a circle of lilacs. In the middle of the circle was a stone table and two benches. The scent of lilacs always reminds me for childhood secrets. In all my own gardens later in life I have tried to plant lilacs, but they will never grow for me. I have come to realize it must be not to take my fragrant childhood memories away.

When I married the summer of 1980, Terje and I moved into the old red house together with grandma Olga, and we started to garden with her. The first thing we did was digging a vegetable garden where we planted beans and peas, and when autumn came we filled the freezer with vegetables for winter soups.

Wherever we walked in grandma's garden I found tiny blue scillas, and they soon became one of my favorite flowers. Blue muscaris were also found around in grandma Olga's garden, and the first thing I do now when moving to a new place (not that we move very often) is to plant scillas and muscaris. Lots of them.
My tulips are starting to bloom. This photo was taken last week.

Primulas/Primroses

I love the palette these primulas are creating.

One heart up, one heart down

With a garden you are never bored. Especially during spring. I find new treasures every day during my garden walks.

Too busy in my garden

I am busy in the garden these days, so a few cabin flower from last week-end will have to do here.

More cabin tulips over in The House in the Woods.

Cabin week-end, a visitor

Thursday morning we left The Blue Garden and headed for our cabin to check how our flowers are doing. They were all perfectly fine, daffodills and snowdrops gone, tulips starting to bloom. And all our roses alive!

I sat out on the cabin porch this morning reading a Tasha Tudor garden book when this little guy came for a short visit.