It’s been a week for weather! We had some of the white stuff above — twice snowfall warnings were issued and then canceled, with only this quickly-disappearing near-miss to remind us of February’s potential.
Then we had clear, windy, cold . . .
and colder — the goldfish are safely tucked away under a skin of ice. . . .
And in all that cold, bright, February sunshine, everything sparkles, especially the miniature iris, my favourite, that’s sprung up among the croci.
and in every corner of the garden, hellebores in pinks and maroons and whites are opening their nodding bells
and whorls of foliage thrust themselves out of their hiding places, as with these Sedum spectabile Autumn joy
The flower buds of this twiggy Daphne mezereum “had me at hello” as the expression goes — even before they’ve opened to fuller floral glory and their delicious scent, the concentration of their lipstick-violet hues earns their space in my spring garden.
Every day now, I know, new leaves will be opening, new shoots pushing through the soil. Soon it will be time to get out there and work in the earth, and not a moment too soon!
Meanwhile, though, if you’re still cocooning in winter and you have a minute, pop over to my other blog and read my post about finding time for reading. I’m trying to answer this query from commenter Hope and I welcome any of your suggestions: As a mom to two young kids (4 and 2), I’ve only just begun getting back into regular reading in the last 6 months or so. Though, it is a big challenge, I find that it helps to keep me from losing myself in being a mother and wife. I was always an avid reader as a child and thoughout my adolescence. My question to you is how do you make time for it with your busy schedule? And how did you make time for it as your kids were growing, particularly when they were young and in those demanding years?
All these buds of Spring feel so very hopeful. Not that I am enduring a winter, by any means, but still—Spring is always so very inspiring. And the beauty that surrounds your home is always inspiring. Merci! Happy weekend and reading.
Oh, I love those hellebores.
We're having some cold (for LA) and rainy weather this week, but supposed to clear up tomorrow. I'm hoping the rain doesn't destroy all of the baby blooms on the neighbor's new flowering plum trees. They're such a beautiful shade of pink!
LBR: Thanks, my dear, sounds as if you've got a stack of book bargains to curl up with yourself. Enjoy.
Pseu: Oh, I'll cross my fingers that only the gentlest rain falls on those plum blossoms. . . .
I love the mixture of snow and early Spring blooms. We had a little of that ourselves last week, during a sudden hail storm!
I had no idea you have another blog. No wonder you find yourself pressed for time.
Oh the hopeful buds and bits of green and purple. We saw the ground last week, although only briefly before it was covered with snow again.
Susan: I separated my reading into another blog when it became fairly clear that my reading posts were not interesting to many readers, yet I really wanted to keep my own record. It does take time, but I find otherwise it's so easy to forget.
Mardel: These buds are all under snow right now as well, although there's rain expected early next week to wash it all away . . .