I Write for Therapy: First Day of Spring

The Denver Botanic Gardens occasionally has "free days" - as they did yesterday, for the first day of spring. I have been to the DBG several times before, but I think it's probably been at least 6 months since I was last here. Their gardens are a bit further along than mine (as far as having things up and blooming), but then, I'd be disappointed if they weren't. Crocuses and Dwarf Iris carried the day, and with that, let's start off with a shot of 'Alba' (I think) - please click these thumbnails to see larger pics with more details:

And some more bluish ones, covering a small hillside:

And here's an odd grouping of etched stones. I can identify a torah scroll, shofar, lamb (with a cross symbol), menorah, grapes, burning bush, and a fish with a Greek(?) caption. I really don't know what it is - some kind of Messianic Zodiac?? But they are missing some months. Maybe each stone is for one of the major feasts? Feast of Trumpets, Passover, Feast of First Fruits, Hannukah...?? idk

I don't know what these are either, but they look cool! Emerging Hellebores, maybe?

Though they are not in bloom, I have seen these before. They are tulips, but they have amazing foliage:

A close up of some darker dwarf iris, amidst what looks like creeping thyme:

One of many lovely hellebores seen that day:

Lamium and heather:

Little snow crocus, big Dutch crocus, winter aconite (yellow) and muscari (grape hyacinth).

A few primroses nestled amongst the Dutch crocus:

I love this pairing of 'Pickwick' Dutch crocus with a dark viola:

Indoors there were several orchids in a rainforest setting. I was really wishing I hadn't worn a sweater!

A nice shot from behind the waterfall:

After walking around the gardens, Adrian and I went to India Oven, one of our favorite Indian Buffets in Denver for a late lunch. Though we arrived after 2pm, the place was packed! There was a large group of Indians all seated together, and I noticed what looked like bright pink powder in one man's hair. I remembered seeing in some Indian movie (Outsourced?) something about an Indian festival that involved throwing colorful powders on each other. Later I had a chance to confirm this via Wikipedia. They were celebrating the first day of spring too!

See Wikipedia's entry on "Spring"

Holi or Phagwah, the festival of colors, celebrated at the end of the winter season on the last full moon of the lunar month Falgun (February/March), is the most vibrant festival of colours celebrated by Hindus in India. People throw water and apply colour powders on each other.

Then we came home. Here's the beginnings of spring in my garden(s). For starters, the Hellebore finally came: