Signs of Spring At Last

It's been a couple of months since I added to this blog. There's been nothing eventful to report on either house or garden. However, in spite of one of the gloomiest Februaries I can remember, there's finally a bit of action in the garden.

Snowdrops are out regardless of the rain.

And snow crocus are popping up too, although I've had to wait many days for an opportunity to photograph them with open flowers.

This is Crocus sieberi 'Firefly':

When 'Firefly' opens, it will reveal its deep orange stamens that are, I assume, the reason for its name.



And this is Crocus chrysanthus 'Gipsy Girl':

One of the best things about 'Gipsy Girl' is that when the petals fold up in cloudy weather, those tiger stripes on the undersides become more visible. This makes it a great choice for climates where the sun rarely shines in February.

Hellebores are already preparing to take over as the stars of the late winter garden.  We are promised sunny weather on the coming weekend, which should give them the encouragement they need.