Monday, February 6, 2012

FIRST BLOOM!


Is spring here…six weeks early?

I dunno. The pessimist in me tends to doubt. After all, there's still a lot of February to get through, plus the first three weeks of March.

On the other hand, it's hard to argue with a cheery yellow crocus. In fact, nearly a dozen of them, scattered about near the front door. They popped out yesterday; Super Bowl fans, perhaps? My daffodils have been up for a month-and-a-half, the tulips nearly a month—though neither has deigned to bloom quite this early. Yet up the road, my neighbor's white snowdrops and yellow winter aconites are both blooming. And another neighbor's Lenten rose has also put forth blossoms.

If the crocus have jumped the gun, gotten too excited by the unseasonably warm weather, who can blame them? The heart is always an optimist when it comes to spring.
———————

22 comments:

George said...

A beautiful reminder of the life to come, Grizz. Forget the predictions. For me, spring arrives with the first crocus, and all inclement weather after that date can be simply regarded as minor setbacks. As they once reminded us, in jest, on a Seinfeld episode, "it's not a lie if you believe it."

Grizz………… said...

George…

You know, I'll have to agree…spring does arrive with the first crocus. Whatever weather downturn comes after is just a temporary seasonal glitch.

AfromTO said...

oh my gosh 2days ago I was sitting in 4ft snowbank painting just an 1 half hours north-no flowers here-that is amazing.More flower pics please-it gives me hope I will be swimming off some rocks soon.

KGMom said...

I suspect in this La Niña year spring will be early.
While we have mild weather, the other side of the globe is getting all the snow and ice.
I have green shoots but no blooms.

Grizz………… said...

AfromTO…

Wouldn't break out the bikini just yet—but spring is more than just an abstract thought. Change is a'comin'.

Grizz………… said...

KGMom…

Much of Europe has certainly been hit hard this winter. I don't what's at the root cause—La Niña, global warming, or just one of the more extreme examples of the usual weather vagaries. Regardless, I'll take it. And I expect more blooms to follow and will duly report.

Vagabonde said...

It’s true – it’s hard to believe that we are still in winter. Your crocus is vibrant. Our azalea has red buds showing already – but it was 70 degrees yesterday. I just hope we won’t have a freeze coming up – we have not had one yet.

Kelly said...

...look at you with a bloom already! We still have green shoots. I love seeing that flower...

Rowan said...

I have crocus and snowdrops flowering too but it didn't stop it snowing:)

Grizz………… said...

Vagabonde…

Nothing shouts spring like bright yellow-gold crocus. Which is why I planted them so near the door. But I also am mindful that crocus are often early and that their appearance doesn't mean there'll be no more cold weather. In fact, from the looks of the forecast, this coming week could be the coldest period we've had since before Christmas.

Grizz………… said...

Kelly…

I loved them, too—and they were surprising because I've been watching daffodil and tulip shoots for weeks, and didn't even see the crocus sneaking up.

Grizz………… said...

Rowan…

No, though my mother didn't have any snowdrops planted around the house, she did have lots of crocus. I remember plenty of times seeing the crocus along the front walk blooming one day, only to be covered by snow the next. They're pretty resilient, though, and a snow or two seldom does them damage—the same with snowdrops. And while they may not mark the absolute end of winter weather, they do signal the beginning of the end.

The Solitary Walker said...

Wow! It's all snow and ice and bitter cold here in the UK, Grizz.

Grizz………… said...

Solitary…

Yup, we said "no, thank you," this time around and sent our winter your way. Think of it as an extended photo op with icicles. :-)

Rubye Jack said...

So I thought last week. Today is nothing but drizzle, grey, and cold with the rest of the week predicted to be more of the same. It was nice for a minute there. :)

Gail said...

HI GIZZ - beautiful picture - fills me with hope :-)
Love to you
Gail
peace.....

AfromTO said...

Bikini-ha!

Grizz………… said...

Rubye Jack…

We had that "practically spring" week here, too, and it would have been easy to take it at face value and put away the winter coats…except this is Ohio and it's February, and their combined history says letting your guard down with too much optimism will get you frostbit.

I do think spring will be early. I also believe winter from here on out will not manage to muster up the usual dose of winter that comes rushing our way with runaway momentum built up from December through January. But, I've been wrong before, and even if I'm right I don't expect to skip straight to May. Nope, we also have cold predicted for the next few days, but that's to be expected. My early crocus are a good sign, but even good signs must be tempered with patience.

BTW, welcome to the riverbank. I hope you like what you've found and return often.

Grizz………… said...

Gail…

Hope is a most wonderful gift. Hold it close, nurture it with faith, and it will come true. :-)

Grizz………… said...

AfromTO…

Well, whatever…it's still too early!

Jenn Jilks said...

Wow! And we're still frozen with 2" of ice on the driveway!
Cheers from Cottage Country!

Grizz………… said...

Jenn Jilks…

Don't feel too left out. It was cold here today, with a dusting of snow earlier…though now mostly gone.