I glanced out the window at the signs of spring. The sky was almost blue, the trees were almost budding, the sun was almost bright. ~ Millard Kaufman
The onslaught of the freeze thaw cycle is upon us. We have shifted from bitter cold and heavy snow to balmy sunny days twice in the past four weeks. This morning, in the midst of a short lived thaw, I discovered snow drops blooming and hellebores in full bud. Â Signs of spring are everywhere, from the green snouts of daffodils poking into the world to buds swelling on the cherry tree. A promise of what is to come.
composerinthegarden 
Your signs of spring are beautiful. 🙂
Beautiful snowdrops and capture of the new bulb foliage spears. I love that sight.
Thanks, Tangly Cottage; winter keeps coming back but the bulb foliage is getting higher. I’ve been enjoying all of your garden posts.
Nice pictures. Not much sign of spring here in Wincanton yet.
Thanks, Christov; we had more snow last night, so those signs were just that, signs 🙂
Lovely to see those harbingers of spring.
Thanks for visiting and commenting, LensScaper! The blooms and almost blooms were certainly a pleasant surprise and immensely welcome.
I can’t wait for spring! Although we are WAY behind you. Def not ANY buds or blooms for many more weeks. Enjoy yours. 🙂
Thanks, Paula; this is normal for us this time of year. But we just got an inch of snow tonight so the cycle turns again. Early March should reveal a few more blooms.
Lynn: We’ve only had a slight dusting of snow in a region that usually gets a couple of huge snow falls each year (except for the last two years). So now the trees are budding and I’m very nervous for my Japanese cherry tree. (Why did I ever plant such a diva tree?) I think we’re going to get a horrible snow storm before the end of March and my tree is going to look like a Charlie Brown Christmas tree come summer time. So I’m anxiously looking for signs of spring. Nothing yet. (Oh, I did see a Cardinal.) I’ll keep looking at your pictures and hoping since hope does spring eternal!
Hope is good, Eleanor. I used to worry about my plants; now, I’m more philosophical since I can’t control the weather (yet). I’m trying to embrace change in the garden at the deepest level 🙂
It must be fun to live where the seasons do things so spectacularly. It is all very understated here.
Ah, colonialist, it is always a toss up between a moderate climate that permits gardening year round, or the drama of true four season living. I change my preferences daily 🙂
I would like to enjoy the benfits of both – but the sort of travel and expense that would entail do not permit!
Excellent! I love the snowdrops and the hellebore bud. thanks!
Glad you enjoyed, bluebrightly! They are such a treat for the eyes and the spirit.
How lovely, especially those snowdrops. We have constantly changing weather, one extreme to another which is hard on the tender buds and shoots. Looks like spring is kicking in ….xxxx
We seem to have the same weather, snowbird – the freeze thaw cycle is tough on the garden; I just pushed a few heaved crocus bulbs back underground. But the end is in sight, at least 🙂
Swelling of cherry blossom! May it be so!
Yes, a sure sign, Carol!
I imagine we’ll be seeing more and more this month!
I sure hope so, Frank! Little glimpses of what is to come 🙂
OH! you are so lucky, lucky! We still have a long way to go till the first snowdrops. But “the sun
is almost bright” some days….Thanks for the preview 🙂
I guess it is all relative, Diversifolius; I keep thinking of my recent trip to Southern California where the “winter weather” there was 55 F and people were shivering! We are gray and cold today but I went to visit the snowdrops again this morning, just to remind myself that spring is coming.
We saw snowdrops in Central Park a couple of weeks ago already, in late January. I always thought that was the usual time for them?
Vlad, mine normally bloom the first week of February, so they are late this year, probably because of the recent snow. You are about one growing zone warmer than me, so late January is right on schedule for Central Park. Always a welcome sight, yes?
They sure are! First sign of spring, even before the groundhog says so…
Oh, now see what spring fever you have started?!? We won’t be able to live with ourselves 🙂
Sorry 🙂
Thank you for the sneak previews! Glorious for the spirit, Lynn.
You’re welcome, Kitty!
Wow! You are far ahead of the Boston curve. Any glimmers of spring here have been buried by all of Nemo’s snow – though much of it melted today and who knows how much more will fade away through the course of this week. I do love those snowdrops. Imagine – flowers!
Jenny, I was certainly surprised to see the snowdrops this morning, but they often do bloom in February here. The snow melts and there they are – the photo didn’t show the snow still lingering around them. Hope you recover from the Nemo snow – you will have great bloom later this year from the snow melt!
Wish I could say that we were getting some of that early spring weather, Lynn. While it’s been warm enough (barely) for some snow melting, it has been miserable in the Chicago area the past few days…cold, windy and rainy (or icy).
It will be gone by tomorrow, Kerry, but at least it was a lovely sneak peak 🙂 Cold damp wind off of the lake; that’s a tough one. Here’s hoping you get a little spring break soon 🙂
Oh how I wish. So I can hold you to your word, then?
It is the short days that get to me.
Oh Hudson, you are probably deep in snow in your part of the world. It was bitter cold here a few days ago, everything coated in snow and ice, but the wind went from a sharp bite to a soft nudge in two days. Cold returns tomorrow and I’m sure we will have another few bouts of true winter before spring is truly here. But the days ARE getting longer – hang in there!
Oh, am hanging in there, no choice. But playing it safe. Friday we received 30cm of snow which was incentive to book it for Cuba the end of March.just in case spring drags its heels. I loved winter in my youth, but as a fossil I need some heat on the stone.
I know what you mean, Hudson. The sled outside my door at Christmas is now purely decorative 🙂