Happy Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day this fine March day.
If Ralph Waldo Emerson is right and “earth laughs in flowers“, then March is a series of little giggles in my garden here in USDA Hardiness Zone 5b.
The laughter starts out quietly with single flowers popping up around the garden and in the grass.
Then there are pairs of flowers giggling together.
And finally a whole group of crocus flowers make even passersby turn their heads and notice something different in the garden.
Joining in the chorus is a new flower, alluded to a day or so ago on a Twitter update.
This is Iris danfordiae, one of the dwarf irises.
Soon enough there will be many Iris flowers laughing away the winter.
Mid-march is also a time to note the great potential for louder laughter in the garden.
There are early daffodils proudly showing buds.
The hellebores, Helleborus orientalis, likewise seem ready to bloom as soon as the days warm up just a bit more.
This red maple, Acer rubrum is surely going to be in full bloom in a few days
And I do believe that is a praying mantis egg case attached to that branch. Those are good bugs in the garden, so they’ll be welcomed along with the flowers.
Before we end our bloom day tour, we look closely and find that a hint of the laughter of the May flowers, a peony, is just beginning to sprout. 
Yes, this soft chorus of giggles and little blooms here and there will soon grow into the loud laughter of flowers as Spring comes to Indiana.
I hope you enjoyed this tour of May Dreams Gardens today and will join us in this monthly bloom parade by posting on your blog about what’s blooming and laughing in your garden. Then leave a comment here so we can find you and visit your blog to see all your pretty flowers.
All are welcome!
“We can have flowers nearly every month of the year.” ~ Elizabeth Lawrence
Wonderful to see those blooms in your garden Carol. Wow and double wow to those iris, though. I didn’t know there was such a thing that bloomed so early. Are they a fall planted bulb? Want some! The Faire Garden bloom day post is up and running, come and cast your vote!
Frances
My garden is finally giggling too! Your Crocuses are all so cheery, I really like the white & purple together. How do you handle the problem of the growing Iris danfordiae foliage after the flowers fade? I couldn’t find a suitable way to hide them, so I didn’t plant any after I moved to Squirrelhaven. I got my Bloom Day post up early because I was so excited to have something to post after last month’s dismal no-show.
Hi Carol, Hooray, I had blooms today!
We were expecting rain so I was thrilled to actually get 4 hours of clean-up with mid 50’s temps. While I stretched the parameters a bit and added some buds, you can see what’s blooming at my old country gardens at http://www.blotanical.com
Hi there, Carol 🙂
Great to see some colour in your garden this month – you must feel all ‘spring-like’ now 😀
I’ll try and be on time this month 😀
One of the most exciting moments in my garden was finding a preying mantis…actually, it was the cat who found him, and I had to act fast to rescue him. I am glad to see what the egg case looks like.
You can see what things look like on the outskirts of Portland OR by going to http://www.bannersbyricki.com and clicking on ricki’s blog.
Thanks for the tour.
Hi Carol,
My very first Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day post is up.
Your flowers look great. Is your brunera starting to come up? I looked for mine and didn’t see any signs yet. Usually that is one of the first things to poke through.
I posted a Bloom’s Day post as well! Sadly, my bulbs are not quite blooming yet – but they coming up and that makes me just as happy! (I was afraid for a while that they weren’t going to come up after planting them in the fall – never had my own yard before so I was sure I messed something up) But nope, they are coming up and hopefully by the 15th next month I will have some actual blooms to post about! Yours are so gorgeous! I wish I would have planted more now that I look back on it – I only did about half of the bulbs I bought.
Great tour Carol, I am glad to see your garden is waking up from a long winter sleep. My bloom day post is up.
Well, is my face red! I thought it already was the 15th. Sheesh, how DUH can I be? Oh well, I have a garden club meeting tomorrow and a dinner after that so I guess I should be glad I posted it today. Sorry!
How awesome! Good for you, Carol! My garden isn’t even snickering….yet!!
Hi Carol, I love your little iris and of course the crocus. They certainly made me smile. I have my GBBD post up. It’s gonna rain all day tomorrow so they say.
I put my post up for Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day. I got it up a little early I guess, I hope that’s OK! 🙂
I like those dwarf irises. I’ll have to remember them for later!
Hello Carol – those little ‘Danfordiae’ are totally charming! So they giggle, huh? What do the early red tulips do – Chuckle?
My Blooming Day Post is up now… just a little early.
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
Carol,
I just posted my first ever Bloom Day post, too. But my efforts are pretty puny; after seeing your photos, I am definitely going to have to plant some crocus this fall.
I loved the quote by Emerson. I wasn’t familiar with that one, but what a beautiful image!
I am early, too…a new bloggers excitement, but also I won’t be around until tomorrow afternoon.
I love the peony sticking up out of the ground…The flowers are lovely but the peony always makes me think spring is almost here.
Gail
clay and limestone
I am awaiting those giggles and twitters!
Carol
It is great to see your flowers and buds! You are several weeks ahead of me, I think, but I did find one thing blooming in my yard today! Yipee! my Bloom day entry is up.
I agree…looks like a praying mantis case… I love seeing all the tiny babies when they march out. Spring is definitely on the move at May Dreams Gardens! My post is up a little early, too, since I’m off to the San Francisco Flower and Garden Show tomorrow.
Lovely giggles happening in your garden!Your peony is poking through the earth..how exciting!
I am enjoying the laughter OF FLOWERS AND THE BUTTERFLY KISSES in Arizona posted today on my blog!
sunkissed NG
What a lot of laughter and giggling in your garden. Your dwarf Irises are a riot and the Crocuses are very amusing. It seems to me that you are tickled pink with your garden at the mo!
BTW my blooms are up too for those who are interested:
gttp://blissyo-elgarden.blogspot.com/
That’s a lovely expression… a giggling garden! Glad to see that spring has arrived in your garden too.
My contribution to GBBD is posted.
/Katarina at Roses and stuff
Hi carol, looks like spring is finally heading your way. You mus be relieved to see winter go away. lovely little irises! My GBBD post is donne. http://jardimcomgatos.blogspot.com/2008/03/mais-uma-vez-altura-de-convite-do-blog.html
Here’s my contribution at GardenRant:
http://www.gardenrant.com/my_weblog/2008/03/daffodils-are-u.html
I know you are happy to see those early blooms. Can’t wait to see photos of the peony. I just posted my March GBBD entry.
Jan Always Growing
Amazing how much you have blooming in your March garden, Carol, but then you are 4 hours South of us here in Chicago.
Those irises are lovely, Carol; they look like a must-try!
My Bloom Day post is up at http://hayefieldhouse.com/
Your irises are lovely, and I just spied some dark blue ones blooming this week in my neighbor’s yard. I can’t imagine why I’ve never planted any.
My post is up, but don’t look for irises.
Hi Carol,
Your irises look wonderfully cheery. Must be nice to see after a tough winter!
It sure looks like a mantis egg case but when I click on the photo to get a better look I get an error message. How lucky to have mantises in your yard.
I missed last month’s GBBD but my offering is up for March.
Hello Carol,
I keep forgetting to plant dwarf Irises. Yours are so lovely that I will have to make a note to get some next fall.
It’s dreary out today but I will have fun visiting all your gardens. Thank you.
GBBD is posted on my blod today.
Kathryn J
I am covetous of your crocuses – mine failed to do much. My first-ever Bloom Day post is up at http://acornalley.wordpress.com/.
Love your giggles. Particularly the Iris Danfordiae I trod on my peony by mistake 🙁
My bloom day post is up.
Regards
Karen
Hi Carol,
I laughed this morning because you’d visited, and I hadn’t even left you a note! However, you’ll have to return because I made a Second posting… about what’s Really Happening around here today.
I love the giggles and laughter in your garden. You’re right, it causes US to celebrate! It’s fun to celebrate with you… it won’t be long and I’ll be celebrating, too! LOL 🙂
Hi Carol,
Your garden is so happy. It made me happy to see all the wonderful signs of spring that is holds. I love your little irises. I dug up all mine and transplanted them but I can’t remember where. I guess I’ll find out soon.
Carol I so enjoyed the tour of your garden. I am finally participating starting this month, after wanting to for so long.
that was a great picture of the praying mantis case. how did you ever find it?
i posted a GBBD post and referred to you in there. it can be found at: http://www.theleafchronicle.com/news/blogs/inthegarden/
Carol, my post is up now.
I can’t believe how much farther along your blooms are than mine. I’m pouting now, not fair! LOL! Seriously, I’m so glad to see blooms springing up in your garden! YEA!
Carol, It’s so nice to see spring blooms! I hope your mantises hatch and gobble up any bad bugs that find their way to your garden this year.
I have no garden blooms but that didn’t stop me from posting on my first GBBD!
Lovely first signs of spring, Carol. Happy Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day!
Garden visiting and this is what I found. Mind you it comes without the snow fleas that are in my own garden at the moment
Loved the Iris. The only success I’ve had with other than the native iris here is Hermodacylis (snake’s head iris) which was boo’ful this year.
So hard to decide what to show. I finally narrowed my choices to 3 broad views with as many blossoms as could crowd in. You’ll just have to imagine the little violas.
Soft giggles emerging from rainy Ireland…
I love your little irises, very cute.
Finally, now I know! That is a wonderful surprise and worth waiting for. I told myself I couldn’t visit here until I put a post up for Bloom day. I did, although it’s only indoor flowers.
It looks to me as if you’ve had some delightful fairy intervention in popping up those lovely Iris and clumps of crocus.
I can see that there is a lot of laughing and giggling in your garden 🙂 ‘Laughing the winter away’ ha ha ha! exactly!
My March blooms are here
Ewa in the Garden: Blooms of March
Dear Carol, all your blooms look cheerful and happy, welcoming spring with full zeal and zest.I love your expression.
My blooms are up too.
I’d like to contribute my ~ garden update ~ post from yesterday towards this – I’ll run and amend it so it shows a link to the garden bloggers bloom day! (cos i got crocuses too..)
thanks!!
keth
xx
My GBBD pretend blooms are up on my blog. Soon I will have the real thing.
You just reminded me that I forgot to photograph my hellebores. My post is up and I have mostly camellias this month.
The WWWs put up a GBBD post. Our gigglers are gone already–too soon. But the party is just getting started and the band is warming up. We’re looking forward to the May hoe down!
Lovely flowers all emerging. I agree, all I hear is giggling around my garden. That’s better than the tired sighs I hear in summer.
My post is up at Kiss of Sun
Carol, I’m partial to your Elizabeth Lawrence post thinking she surely is on to something!
Love the red maple bloom and the praying mantis. Your crocus, hellebores bud, daffodil buds and dwarf iris are making sweet melodies in your almost-spring garden. What a wonder it is to me that you even have blooms after all that snow!
We’ve had a couple of days of rain so I was beginning to wonder if I could get to any photos. I’m not complaining since we need it so desperately. It cleared up nicely around noon today.
My post is up at HoeandShovel. Thanks for the fun as always.
Meems
All my crocuses bloomed and died between Bloom Days.
http://back40feet.blogspot.com/2008/03/le-bloom-day-post.html
Your bloom day idea has proved such a fantastic idea — I’ve loved looking at all these blooms all these months. Finally, I’m posting again, after a long hiatus. Looking forward to meeting you in Austin!
http://vivesgarden.blogspot.com/
http://newsprout.blogspot.com/2008/03/garden-bloggers-bloom-day-3-15-08.html
There is my post for bloom day. I got a bit more blooms then last month but basically the same.
I made it!
http://talesfromthelaboratory.typepad.com/tales_from_the_microbial_/2008/03/another-march-m.html
Carol, Do you have a record for the most comments on a post? Sometimes I get to the ladies garden blogs and there are 30 comments and I think why bother, I’ll just get lost in the crowd.
It seems you and I have have lots of similar plants. I’ve spotted a few more Peony buds.
I have been thinking too about sending you some Snowdrop bulbs. There are a few spare ones lying about that I am sure the resident gardeners would be happy to let me dig and send off to a new home. Now if you want to get adventurous I could send you some of the Snowdrop seeds I plan to collect.
My March Bloom Day post is up! There’s lots blooming in my Austin garden.
Can’t wait to meet you in a few weeks!
Rachel at in bloom
So charming — a garden of giggles! I love it! I’ve posted my March Blooms and I thank you once again for the inspiration to get out there, record, and share.
i’m new to all of this, but i posted for garen bloggers bloom day too.
http://rakeshovelhoe.blogspot.com/
i really enjoy your blog, and am learning a lot. thank you.
Happy Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day. You can see my sophomore effort for GBBD at:
http://atidewatergardener.blogspot.com/2008/03/bloom-day-ides-of-march.html
Hi Carol,
I am so excited to be posting for my first bloom day. Can’t wait to meet you in Austin.
Vertie
http://vertaustin.blogspot.com/
HOLY MOLY! What a pile of comments already, and it’s only the 15th evening! I’m finally weighing in with my offering, Carol, and can’t wait to read some of these. Yours made me gleeful, of course, especially the little danfordiae (?) iris. Soon we’ll all be enjoying blooms outdoors…
I am really having fun looking at all the pictures. Thanks for doing this. I barely got my post up on time
Deb
My photos of Zanthan Gardens are finally, finally posted. As March is the month with the most variety in my garden, it’s taken me all day to collect and write about the photographs. This year, about 34 different flowers could be found–up from 29 in 2007. The big difference is that no sweet peas are blooming yet this year.
Hello Carol I love the early spring bloomers. Having grown up in Wisconsin I could hardly wait for the crocus each March. I did a blog entry on crocus myself , but by GARDEN BLOGGER’S BLOOM DAY IS SOMETHING DIFFERENT. Thanks for hosting this, Daniel daniel@mountgardens.com
Carol,
Enjoyed your Gardeners’ Bloom Day…
Here are links to what I’ve had blooming locally. I’m just getting together a new garden in a new location, so have to rely this year on what the neighbors have blooming.
[http://landscaping.suite101.com/blog.cfm/]Leap Day and Spring Flowers and [http://landscaping.suite101.com/blog.cfm/]Spring Arrives in Plant Zone 7.
Gardenmoma
GBBD is becoming really popular! See what you’ve started Carol? 🙂 It’s so interesting and great fun to see what’s blooming all over the country and beyond.
I love the thought of all the plants giggling out there in the gardens as they peer out from beneath the snow, and then begin to warm in the sunshine. Ahh, lovely spring is on her way…finally!
The yellow iris is adorable 🙂
My, you make me want to plant bulbs for next spring! I’m relying on teh shrubs and trees for blooms this time of year. I let the 15th slip by, but now they are posted.
Thanks! Paula
I love your little dwarf iris!
We have a few wildflowers coming up – mostly the white ones so far (rue anemone, hepatica, bloodroot), but a few bluebells and couple of early trillums.
Wow, Carol, you are really fast. I wasn’t even quite done with putting the last touches on that article, and you are posting a comment already. Makes me even more ashamed that I never seem to get the date right. 😉
Greetings,
Corinna
Hi again, Carol – sorry a little late once again. Great to see so many posts 😀
I’ve been distracted with some bird activity in the garden. However, my post is up now if you would like to visit. I am now looking forward to browsing some gardens myself. This is a great time of year. I love your little yellow iris 😀
Wonderful photos of beautiful flowers and interesting things! I only have pictures of snow! But you do provide encouragement.
I love this…. come visit my bloom day photos at my blog!
Enjoy your Spring Weekend – HUGS
Bren in ZOne 6