Tickle Me Pink!

azalea
Admittedly, my upcoming birthday and the prospect of celebrating same with dear, beloved old friends and family is undoubtedly contributing to my rosy disposition, but the sheer delight of stepping onto the front patio and being greeted each day by a hot pink azalea, a sure harbinger that spring is nearly upon us is adding mightily to my pleasure! And not only azaleas abound, but this is the time we are enveloped in Northern California with pink pink pink regardless of where we might turn our attention. We are once again awash in the beauty of camellias, oh joy!
pnkcam1

Who would not be uplifted by the delirious abundance of ten foot camellia bushes lining one’s reality? Pink blessings, indeed!
cam2

Even the sky was atune this week to the beauty and harmony of pinkdom!
pinksky

Nor did it stop there. In the midst of this late afternoon splendor I was blessed to behold, for the very first time in my life, a pink rainbow! No, really! It was exhilarating, I assure you! And did I take it as a sign? Absolutely! Wouldn’t you??
pnkrainbow

Inspired by pink I grabbed my camera and set out to immerse myself in more. And there was more. Magnolia’s tinged with pink and purples are readily found in these old, established gardens among which I live. Their petals fall to the streets below, creating a lovely carpet upon which to tread.
mag

And pink plum trees adorn street after street after street. Who would not be touched by their cheery sweetness?
plum

Indeed, in a single day I spotted in my garden my first bumblebee of the season, my first dear hoverbee and a small blue butterfly. Stunning! We can count the days until spring is officially here. So close. So close. A neighbor has a running start with this mass planting of marguerite daisies:
mardaisy

And another is dearly enjoying this pink oxalis, which she lets spread where it will. I looked it up and reassured myself that it is not a form of invasive oxalis, most fortunately, thereby joining her in appreciating the small sweet pleasure that it offers.
oxalis

The flowers of late winter and early spring occupy places in our hearts well out of proportion to their size. ~Gertrude S. Wister

And so, dear readers, may you find yourselves soon blessed by an abundance of blossoms, all shapes, all sizes, all colors, all scents. Regardless they will lift you from your winter sleep and set you gently on the road to spring.

Love and flower blessings,
Kathryn xoxo

22 Responses to “Tickle Me Pink!”

  1. Happy Birthday Kathryn! All your pinks are a real treat for our eyes! All the best to you and your garden!

  2. Oh, Lovely, indeed! That pink rainbow is uniquely spectacular!! What fun, mom! I am so Spring Feverly, and ready for the Beautiful blossoms!

    Can’t wait to see you for your upcoming Birthday!!!

    Love you,
    Antonia
    XOXOX

  3. Good morning, Tatyana, and welcome and many thanks for your well wishes! Kathryn xoox

  4. Hi, Antonia! Yes, going to see your beautiful face very soon and happy at the mere thought! Big hug until then. Love, Mom xoxoo

  5. Beautiful! You are a great photographer….

  6. great way to greet Spring, as well as your upcoming birthday. I live in the land of rainbows, and I can honestly say, I‘ve never seen a PINK one before!!! Thanks for the glimpse of such magic.
    And happy b.day, right now, because you might as well celebrate all month! 🙂
    x‘s,p.

  7. Hi, Veronica! Thank you, my dear! And see you soon! Love, Kathryn xoox

  8. Hi, Pamela! Well knowing how YOU would know, I’m doubly inspired to have witnessed a pink rainbow! This comment really touched my heart. I will take to heart that my birthday may be celebrated beginning NOW. Yes, indeed. Thanks, dear. Much love, Kathryn xoxo

  9. I’m tickled pink with your lovely photos! I’m very partial to pnk in the garden and these are all delightful!

    Happy Birthday!

  10. Welcome, Robin! Thank you! I’m glad you are a Pink Fan! Glad you enjoyed the visit! Kathryn xoxo

  11. Kathryn!

    Very happy birthday wishes to you!
    I love your photography…all the photos are wonderful here, but I am delighted by the field of marguerite daisys.

    I have been on wildflower hikes this last week and found many wildflowers blooming on coastal rocky cliffs. In my own garden sea thrift blooms this morning with ball shaped flowers the color of…pink!
    Off now to see what else to discover this beautiful morning.

    Warm regards and happy birthday. Glad to know you are in the pink!
    🙂
    Philip

  12. Good Saturday morning to you, Philip! And thank you so much for the warm birthday wishes! Finding wild flowers along the ocean cliffs sounds delightful! May your journey be filled with more lovely discoveries!
    Kathryn xoxo

  13. Wow! and we are just one week after the final snow melt here in central Ohio, but under the snow I had snowdrops and winter crocus just wating to be liberated. They are all now in full bloom, no pinks but lots of purples. Also the very little Dutch iris bulbs that you think could not come up this early but they do. Regular crocus and the rest of the minor bulbs are not out yet but the early daffodils are budding up and I’m hoping that we will see the beginning of the daffodil season in a few weeks.
    Hugs and happy birthday from this side of the family. Julie

  14. Hi, Julie! Good to hear your spring flowers are starting to emerge, dear. Enjoy each one. I know you do. Thank you for the birthday wishes. Kathryn xoxo

  15. I CAN’T BELIEVE WHAT A REAL PRO YOU ARE WITH THAT CAMERA.Your pictures of blooms are really incredible. I feel like i can pick each one.

    We share the same birthday month and I remember and treasure the birthday in Flat Rock, when you photographed me (in a wheelchair) by the beautiful blooming Bradford Pear Trees.

    Have a glorious birthday and those not near will think of you and the pleasure you bring us, with your blog.
    Al joins me in wishing youmany more joyous birthdays.

    Love, Betsy

  16. Hi, Betsy! Thank you so very much. I’m glad I’ve been able to capture photos that touch you! Yes, I shall always remember the Bradford pear trees in NC. So lovely. Many thanks to you and Al for the warm birthday wishes! Kathryn xoxo

  17. that sky photo is incredible… great shot… thank you!

  18. Good morning, Dirty Girl Gardening! Thank you! I was THRILLED to catch it! Kathryn xoxo

  19. Gorgeous! Stunning! We are nearly birthday twins, Kathryn…mine was the 14th. 🙂 And I received a beautiful…pink azalea from my in-laws. I was tickled pink, too. A belated Happy Birthday…I hope 2010 is a wonderful year for you. ♥

  20. Happy Birthday, Nancy! I will think of you every year now. 🙂 Have a spectacular 2010! I’ll come visit your blog! Hope you are writing spring poems! Kathryn xoox

  21. You must be one of the people who understand why my favorite garden color is pink. I’ve got old roses! I dream of camellias. A beautiful post.

  22. Thank you, commonweeder! Yes, I love pink, too! Pink is one of the colors associated with the heart. (Think rose quartz.) I wonder how PINK looks to butterflies and bees? Kathryn xoxo

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