Look what I found!  Well, truth be told, my father-in-law spotted them:  adorable little Crocus.  What a sight for sore eyes!  These are the first signs of life in our yard this year and a tell-tale symbol that spring is FINALLY here!  Woot Woot!

Happy Bloom Day to you, my gardening buds! 

My fellow garden blogger from May Dreams Garden set up a MEME for us to share what is blooming in our gardens on the 15th of every month. 

This is my first official Bloom Day post here at View From the Garden and I couldn't be more excited to get started, but wait...what's that?  Oh, it's the quintessential rainy April day:  cold, rain, wind.  Fortunately I've been busy out in the garden snapping photos, so we can get a good idea of what's flourishing in my garden in Des Moines, Iowa (zone 5b, if anyone is paying attention).

I was soooo excited to see this little iris popping out from the earth.  This is the only one I've seen so I'm hoping more will emerge soon.  Iris reticulata 'Pixie' is very dainty, but is such a rich, royal blue it catches your eye from afar.  Stunning!

Daffodils are the true ambassadors of spring.  Bright yellow representatives are popping up all over the garden.  This variety is big, sunny and cheery.

This Grant Mitsch hybrid daffodil livens a shady area in my garden.  The bowing stature of Narcissus cyclamineus 'Rapture' makes it more reserved than other daffs, but it still makes a statement.   Its backbending periant and elongated cup gives this variety an exoctic touch.

I'm a BIG fan of hellebores.  One of the first perennials to surface in spring, hellebores are a staple in my shady areas.  The deep green foliage is a sight for sore eyes early in the growing season.   

Although the flowers of hellebores don't measure up to the kaliedescope of color spring bulbs offer, I still find them very interesting.

The intoxicating sweet aroma of these gorgeous blue hyacinths keeps my sniffer happy! 

These delightful little tulips are a show stopper.  I had high hopes for Tulipa kauffmania 'Heart's Delight' but they've exceeded my expectations!  Also known as Water Lily tulips, they are creamy white with candy-pink highlights and a yelllow center.  As the blooms mature the color becomes more vivid.  These little guys wake up the garden on dull and rainy April days. 

These Water Lily tulips are small but mighty.  I'm anticipating them to colonize and make a more dramatic appearance year after year.

So there it is - View From the Garden's Inaguraul Bloom Day post!  I'm deliriously excited for this growing season and looking forward to sharing every step along the way!

It's here, it's finally here:  SPRING!!!  Today is the first day of Spring and I couldn't be more excited.  We experienced some spring showers in the morning, but we ended up with a partly sunny day and a balmy temp of 68. 

I was able to rake out a garden bed that sits near the sidewalk and is notorious for collecting leaves and debris.   After that I inspected all the beds to take the first roll call of the season.

The hellabores are emerging, one of the first perennials of the season to bloom.

I'm thrilled to see these adorable species tulips popping up that I planted last fall.  They are a native variety that hopefully will bloom year after year. 

The bright, crayon green foliage of the surprise lily is a welcome sight every spring.

There's not much now, but I'm happy with my early arrivals.  Can't wait to see what spring has to bring in the coming weeks! 

It's no secret I love a good sale so when I got wind the Friends of the Des Moines Botanical Center is hosting the 3rd Annual Bulb Mart this weekend and I made sure to check it out.  Tucked back in the private greenhouses, the sale offered an impressive selection of bulbs shipped in from Brent and Becky's Bulbs - a fantastic and reliable company. 

I carefully browsed the aisles stocked with allium, anemone, crocus, fritillaria, hyacinth and iris.  The selection of tulips and daffodils ranged from tiny species varieties to glamorous peony-like double varieties.  I very well could have run a muck like a kid in a candy store, only worse - a gardener at a bulb sale.  To stay on task I tucked some cash in my pocket and left the budget-busting duo (a.ka. check book and credit card) in the car.  Also, I limited my shopping to a specific area of my garden that is in need of spring color.    

I think my favorite buy is this adorable dwarf iris, Iris reticulata 'Pixie'.  I'm going to plant these itty-bitty gems amidst early blooming daffodils bordering the front walkway. 

I'm so excited to get these in the ground!  Actually, on second thought, I'm waiting to plant them after we get a hard frost, so I can hold off for at least a few more weeks.

Happy digging!