Of Early Spring & Garden Evenings

Spring is in the air in my neck of the woods friends.

We had our cold snap last month, as we normally do in February, and now the fruit trees are happy to blossom.

They always need a cold snap, as do poppies and such.

The citrus trees are beyond full, and I truly embrace every morsel of it.

There is this wonderful time in the evenings that doesn't get photographed much.

Just before it becomes dark and fairy lights twinkle brighter, but right after the sun sets, there is this moment of muted light.

It gets a little chilly and I do my last rounds as I head in for a book and some tea.

This cabinet is my favorite place to be when I run back down to the house from the garden.

But first I thought it would be fun to stroll through, right before the sun fully sets and the sky still has light.

It is not dark blue yet, but evening is dancing about.

I love peeking at what is going on.

Golden hour is just coming to a close and it creates a natural bokeh in the distant tree leaves.

It looks like there are a million fairy lights and that perhaps it is autumn.

But it's simply the illumination of the light on the leaves and the golden sun saying good night.

And now, there are apple blossoms.

Swaying in the wind and enticing the bees.

We are in that time where one day it warms up, and then another it cools down again.

Sometimes I cover my most fragile plants, like the fresh tomato leaves you see covered in the backdrop below.

Spring definitely is coming in and soon it will stay.

I forgot to share a few snippets of our very light snow.

There are the stairs leading up to the citrus grove, and my garden I created on a whim last March to help settle my nerves due to the pandemic.

I call it the secret garden behind the garden, which it really is, because you wouldn't ever guess it is back there.

The snow was full on the mountains and ever so beautiful.

I'm so happy to see the fruit trees blooming, I can't express how joyful it makes me.

I've created all sorts of little stairs on both sides of the small hills surrounding the citrus garden.

These I made more recently out of found objects like broken flagstone and such.

It's all sort of unfolding organically as I go.

I feel like this time of the day is the least photographed.

It's not as magical and golden hour or as dramatic as nightfall.

But it has its own mystery I think.

It's the exact time when all the quail start jumping the fence and running ever so quickly to pop into my trees to sleep safely.

That absolutely warms my heart soooooo much.

To see them running in madly, eager to get into the trees.

And then in the morning, the garden starts to look all new and shiny these days.

Fresh leaves turn up and sprouts push through.

It's time for my best pumpkins to go back into the garden.

For their seeds to bring fresh vines.

It's the circle of garden life.

Such a very beautiful thing.

But for just a couple more days, I will enjoy them in the light of golden hour.

They can make any day remind you of the magic of autumn.

And so begins, the journey of this year's pumpkins.

Another year, another pumpkin patch.

One of the very best things in life, I think.

How about you?

I'm working hard to be back here more often.

I hope you enjoy our visits.

All my best always!

 

Magic, wishes, and stars –

Vanessa