I don’t know about you, but I’m having a particularly hard time with winter this week. I go into winter kicking and screaming like a toddler having a temper tantrum, but its actually the last few weeks before spring that really get to me. With seed starting and other preparations underway, its springtime in my head and winter outside my window. It is becoming increasingly difficult to reconcile the two.
I thought I would post some early spring photos that I took in my friend Barry’s garden as a reminder that winter does end.
Winter aconite (Eranthis hyemalis), a very early blooming woodland perennial.
Sharp-Lobed Hepatica (Hepatica acutiloba). See a closeup photo here.
Hepatica buds emerging.
Pretty, diminutive hepatica blooms (Hepatica nobolis). See a closeup here.
Aaaaaaaaahh! Just what I needed to see today!
And here in Tasmania Australia we are praying for rain! We have had the driest summer and are doing everything that we can to try to conserve water but if we don’t start watering soon our garden is going to die. Isn’t it funny how the end of the season brings twitchings for the new season? I hope your spring and our autumn rains arrive ASAP! :)
We’ve got a good month of winter here in Chicago still but lately the sun has been out and I’ve been dying to get into the garden too!
Oh, we have a good month here too, but I also know from experience that some greenery and early blooms start to show around end of Feb so I am using that to keep me positive.
The only thing nicer than those pictures will be seeing them in my own yard ;)
The past few days here have been so warm and sunny I forget our last frost date is May 15! I am sure we are in for more cold, wet weather soon. I have too many projects started, and need to finish them one at a time.
oh dear! :) Keep calm and drink coffee!!
I know exactly how you feel but in my case I couldn’t walk. Today I took the challenge and made it around one part of the yard. Yes, snowdrops! Its averaging around 5-8C here in BC and there is new growth everywhere, a sign of hope.
Love your photos! Here in central North Carolina, the weather can’t decide if it is spring or not. I got out for a while in lovely 60F weather today, but tomorrow we are expecting sleet. My own beloved crocus are popping up and daffodil foliage is about 6 inches high. I have been searching for my winter aconites but fear the squirrels feasted upon them when I wasn’t watching; they’re nowhere to be found. I have been longing to try some hepaticas and I think your photos have given me a little nudge. Hang in there; spring will be here soon.
Oh, I highly suggest hepaticas! They are so lovely and delicate.
OH yes – this is me too! Just this morning I wrote on our message blackboard “I’m ready for spring” and drew some rather feeble pictures of tulips, etc. LOL
This fills me with excitement for the pretty show my early bloomers will put on in a few weeks :)
Lovely Pics,
Looking out the window now i can see a good 3ft of snow on the garden reckon its going to be a couple months yet.
Been making the most of winter just got back from a Kite festival on the local frozen lake. Very chilly but lots of fun
It’s so darn cold out today! We went to the model train exhibit down in Liberty Village in Toronto (last weekend before they have to dismantle it and move to a new and smaller location), and the wind makes it seem twice as cold down there. I sure was wishing for spring too when we were walking to Dufferin Street afterwards!
For the past couple of weeks, I’ve been trying to plan how I’m going to nurture our raspberry bushes, which gave us lots of raspberries last year but they were all kind of puny. So the gardening books are out, and I’m consulting Master Gardener Google on raspberries, and now I’m impatient for spring too!
Thanks for the hopeful pics – they’re warming me up already. :)
I believe in Spring. Because we have Winter, Summer and Fall….I do know it’s around the bend and will absolutely be here…but, I agree, I want it now. I went to the nursery today to get some blooms for my front porch. Among other delights, my greatest find, a Buddha’s Hand, a citrus plant. It’s fabulous. Thanks for sharing the photos.
SPRING SPRING SPRING:)
Lovely photos! Yes, can’t wait for the weather to finally warm up so the planting can begin!
February is always a tough slump for me to get over. Today I woke up and said “only eight days left!” That should get me through – until I went ice skating through the back garden to fill some bird feeders. We had rain, snow, rain and now everything is shellacked in ice and wow, that river breeze is “refreshing.” At least in March I can plant my peas – as long as that ice melts into mud, mud, mud. Thanks so much for this proof of spring! Hepatica is on my wish list.
Just found your blog today & I am hooked! In central IL we are suppose to get 5 inches of snow tomorrow. Hopefully the cure for the insane long winter will be to start some seeds indoors this week.
I am so done with winter! I am itching to put in a garden now that I actually have a yard. Unfortunately our last frost date is May 15! YUCK! At least it’s been sunny lately, although we have had a couple of snowy days too. I needed something green so bad I planted herbs on my window sill. They are just starting to sprout :)