“Non-Winter” Update

Yesterday was a happy day for yours truly.   After reading Margaret Roach‘s tweet about the things coming out in her Hudson Valley garden, I rushed outside to check mine.  Again. Snowdrops, those beloved little dears, were poking out of the snow and beginning to bloom!

Winterspring

and

Hope for an Early Spring

Elated with this early glimpse of things to come, I recalled that Margaret had mentioned her hellebores.  Hellebores, despite having names such as “Christmas Rose”, do not really bloom this early where I garden, but hope was having a heyday so I charged on over to have a look at my hellebore patch and, to my amazement the swelling buds were tucked about among the leaves–not quite ready to bloom, but still, re-iterating the Snowdrops’ promise of an early spring.

Early Hellebore Buds

Only a stricken gardener will understand the joy and false hope that owned me for the rest of the day.  And only a Canadian (Victoria gardeners excluded!) can fathom the potential for immediate disappointment.  This is the scene outside today, though it was much worse earlier:

February 24, North of Toronto

I believe the Snowdrops, though.

Now, for those Central Canadian gardeners who really want to feel grumpy today, I also received a cute notice from the Butchart Gardens today, alerting us all to the situation in Victoria.

Anyway, I believe the Snowdrops.