Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Signs of Spring!

The birds have been chirping, the sun is brighter and now we have an extra hour of daylight in the evening. Even though I still have snow on the ground, I did manage to see a few other signs of spring in the neighborhood yesterday.

The first was a beautiful yellow-bloomed witch hazel tree (Hamamelis). It's one of the earliest to bloom in late winter/early spring. 


The flowers have these squiggly little petals and gives off a sweet, delicate scent. 

Here is a close up, from Wikipedia:

Another early bloomer is the lovely and delicate Snowdrops (Galanthus). These are just about to open:


The name Galanthus means "milk flower" in Greek. The petals, when open, face downward and when in a mass, looks like a light covering of snow. 


Where the snow has melted, I see a few shoots of crocus and daffodils. Soon my landscape will be a riot of color. Soon!

5 comments:

  1. How we do look forward to the coming of spring. I love your snowdrops. I have a variety of them in my garden. They bloomed about a month ago giving me hope that, in fact, spring is on the way.

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  2. Our Galanthus Nivalis are over now. The witch hazels are a delight and last for ages. I hope you will soon be clear of the snow and able to enjoy your spring flowers.

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  3. Spring is on its way to you. It creeps a little farther every day. Would that we could hurry it. Happy Bloom Day.

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  4. Love your snowdrops!! The hazel tree bloom is beautiful!

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  5. Spring is a sign of life, the beginning of hope after the long chilling winter, and hibernating creatures. Its the season to start a backyard gardening or landscaping.

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