A few more beauties… a couple parting shots before we continued the ride north past the gardens. Beautiful ranunculus flowers in a range of colors!

While at the Chicago Botanic Garden, I was also impressed by the flowering espalier growing on the brick entrance walls. Years of pruning & “training” to make this beauty happen!

Celebrating EARTH DAY with these little troopers surviving the recent blast of cold weather and popping up in my garden today to greet the sunshine! Fun fern fiddleheads unfurling in the sun… say THAT ten times fast!!!

I’m kinda excited… I’m trying to grow dahlias this summer for the first time. I started them indoors and these little nuggets popped up this morning!!! Just in time for NATIONAL GARDENING DAY!!!

Pretty excited when I got home from biking to see the very first crocus blooming in my front yard! Love the vibrant purple color… and LOVE that I’ve never planted crocus & yet somehow this little cutie found it’s way into my street corner planter box!

After last night’s “exchanging-trading-stealing” game with my Intermediate class, I walked away with this SWEETIE of a flowerpot Christine! She’s been working a lot with terra cotta, white underglaze backgrounds & detailed paintings with colored underglaze. This one commemorates the Chicago flag & Lillstreet 2021. Great class… great planter… great souvenir of our class!!!

It’s the FIRST DAY OF SPRING!!! Finally…
and I’m so excited to see some pops of color breaking through in my front yard. Looks like the periwinkle vinca vine is off to a good start!

The sun finally came out for a brief moment this afternoon… and backlit this orchid just perfect to make the new blooms really shine!

A few more happy succulents enjoying the bright sunlight on my dining room windowsill… and their stamped & soda-fired flowerpots!

Enjoying some some blue skies & bright sunshine streaming through one of my shamrock plants… from the warmth & comfort INSIDE my condo!!! Just one more “distraction” to delay my trip into the studio today!