Hang in there Charlie.

Did, Mike.
Hoping things will really now get going.

The first snowdrops appeared just after the beginning of March, but they probably had a hard life from then to now with continual cycles of cold and colder weather. Think things are now turning the corner. Have just tidied up the hellebore foliage and today we have a few botanical crocuses blooming.

Today.

Looking nice, Charlie. I can't wait to see things start popping up here. Nothing yet. Too early for our area.

Thanks, Connie.

Edmonton; third (of all Canadian cities) in most sunny days and in the greatest percentage of daylight hours that are sunny.
My kind of town!!!

The dance between winter and spring.
Well at least we don't have to live in the garden.

Yesterday afternoon.
There's now rain washing snow away.

Back again.
Today

Still lots of snowdrops.
Especially like to plant them close to where we sit out for an often chilly (up to) "happy hour" in later March.
Yesterday:



Today: more crocuses beginning to flower.
Think they're all botanicals.









Also today: potentially our best looking hellebores for this year:

'Pink Frost'



'Merlin'

Charlie in your garden it will get better. Give it time.

Thanks for the words of encouragement, Mike.
It's something like a watched kettle never boils?

Know what you mean. It took awhile for this one to boil this morning

Mike: that time:
kind of early?
Well, at least for us.

Today; it happened again.
The kind of wet heavy stuff that snowmen and heart attacks are made of.



A corner of the star magnolia.



Snowdrops aside, was wondering whether people that live with our sort of climate are less inclined to "White Gardens" than others elsewhere.

I have worked nights for about 16 years now. It is fabulous to have a white garden to view at night! I don't do it every year but I do appreciate them. It is really cool to see flowers that seem to float in midair because the leaves and stems are not readily visible.

Interesting, Gary!

Sunny and mild today: snow melting.

Dutch yellow crocuses (Crocus flavus) and Dutch crocuses (in picture: C. vernus 'Pickwick') coming out of the snow.
Find the yellow difficult to photograph: crocuses are only open when it's sunny and at that time the yellow (and the white) tends to really reflects the sunlight. Am very fond of that almost ochre (?) yellow.

Today.





Was a large rabbit sitting in the middle of one of the back flowerbeds.
Past experience: have seen only occasional rabbit damage to crocuses (then saw whole plants grazed to ground level).
Hoping the rabbits aren't developing new tastes (or aren't too hungry).
Will try sprinkling blood meal, if necessary; that worked very well with one individual bulb-predatory squirrel last fall.

Charlie for your sake I hope not.

So far, so good, Mike.
Am counting on him sticking to his main job (at least now); namely, bringing chocolate Easter eggs.

Today.







Think the traditional colours of spring are especially based on the typical colours of spring flowering crocuses.

Was away for a few days.
Things now coming along.

Yesterday:

Species tulips joining the crocuses.


Daffodils in bud with the crocuses.


The first of the primulas beginning to flower.
(Supernova Mix below).


Currently the best looking of the hellebores (Pink Frost (Gold Collection)).
(Am beginning to strongly favour outwards-facing (rather than nodding) flowers on hellebores:
all a matter of personal taste!).


The first of our lungworts to begin to flower this year ('Silver Bouquet').


The double bloodroot; some way to go.

Coming along nicely Charlie. My Hellebores are all nodding