Spring is Not Just a Figment of My Imagination
I had begun to wonder if we had entered a new ice age, or perhaps that winter was really the one season of the year. The other seasons can only be enjoyed in the afterlife by the truly righteous.
But in the last few days, winter has loosened its grip, and there are hints of another, better way of life. The snow has been melting, the temperatures warming – at least some of the time. And as bare ground is exposed, there is a sign of life – a little clump of snowdrops that emerged out of the frozen ground and into the snow, now visible.
With the snow gone, this particular patch of snowdrops is looking a bit peckish. I’m sure that they’ll look better with a bit of time in the sun, though. There are other snowdrops that have emerged only in the last day or two.
Don’t get me wrong, there is still plenty of the cold white stuff. This is especially true along the sidewalk and driveway where repeated bouts of shovelling have left small mountain ranges of snow right on top of my flower borders.
And while winter is definitely in retreat, it is known to conduct some aggressive rear guard actions.Back on March 1, for example, we got about 6″ of snow after several days of mild weather.
That last 6″ and more has melted in the past few days. For example, here is Carl the Concrete Chicken (an important piece of Garden Art in our back garden) after the March 1 snowstorm.
And here is Carl earlier today.
Are you able to see bare ground where you are?
gardeninacity 
Similar scenario here. We still have our “private Himalayas”, but they’re shrinking. Not seeing much new green yet. Love your snowdrops pictures. Gives me hope.
Keep hope alive! Today and tomorrow are supposed to be very cold, but then it warms up and we may even have rain – not snow – later in the week.
I just want to sing I am so excited! The yard is a bit of a pool out back but I will take it!! Loving the signs of life in your garden and Carl the chicken is fantastic! A happy weekend to you!! Nicole
My wife has a thing about inanimate chickens. We bought Carl at a sort of antiques and curios store in Minnesota. Have a great week!
No bare ground yet in Maine. In fact, the icy piles left by the plow are now so high that the reflectors I put out in fall to guide the plow guy are just about buried. Let’s hope for serious melting and spring flowers soon.
Sounds like your winter is dug in much more than even ours. I hope we both get some serious melting without delay!
Snowless in some places here! Soooo happy! 🙂
It does lift the spirits, doesn’t it?
The landscape looks similar here in Madison, but I don’t have anything blooming yet. Several patches of Daffodils and Crocuses poking out of the soil and ice, though. Man, they are hardy plants! Hopefully we’ve experienced the last of the single digits for the season, but I know from past years that we can probably expect more snow during the early spring. Hang in there!
Thank God they are hardy, though all I can see so far are snowdrops.
I feel cold just reading your post!
I don’t want to crow but we have had beautiful Spring weather here in York UK for nearly a month now. We are at least a month ahead of usual and the Spring flowers such as daphne and many bulbs such as daffs, scilla and chionodoxa are in full bloom.We are well past the best of snowdrops and crocus Perhaps when your Spring comes that is what you really get.Our climate is so variable that severe cold and snow could still return!
Are you trying to make me feel bad?
Yay! Snowdrops at last! Glad to hear there’s been a let-up on the weather front. Carl must be happy to have dry toes again. Our ground is now starting to green up after some much needed rain!
Carl is indeed happy. Glad you’ve gotten some rain!
I´m so happy for you that you at last are able to see some bare ground. And also some snowdrops. I´m crossing my fingers that this is truly the end of winter.
You and me both!
I think you know the answer to that already…but I’m so glad your ice age is coming to an end, Jason 🙂 I like your sense of humour!
Thanks! Laugh and the world laughs with you …
Well I am clearly amongst the truly righteous, Jason because I have Spring in my garden. I hope you don’t have to wait for the afterlife to enjoy Spring too.
I’m surprised you have been thinking about blue flowers lately, I’d have thought that you would be dreaming of hot colours; reds and oranges and sunny yellows to warm you up.
Blue is good for calming frustration.
That’s true.
I’m impressed with your tact in letting my claim to be amongst the truly righteous go unchallenged.
Well, you know the New England Puritans believed that anyone who questioned anyone else’s divine revelation could not be among the Elect. This kept down challenges to personal revelations quite nicely. Of course any revelation that was inconsistent with doctrine was a different matter. While my own ancestors were from a very different part of Europe and came 300 years later, still it doesn’t hurt to be careful.
Our mountain ranges are still visible everywhere you look. The only place I have bare ground is right next to the driveway where there is a strip a couple of inches wide. We had a wonderful day of melt yesterday but the arctic air is back today.
Sounds like you are at least headed in the right direction, even if slowly.
Hang on in there and all will soon be lovely in the garden! You must be sick and tired of your long cold winter and longing to feel the warm sun on your back. here in the uk, I hate to say, we have been blessed with a very mild winter so far, so things are quite far advanced.
I was going to head out and prune today, but it’s turned a bit too cold. Next weekend, I guess!
Keep fighting the good fight, and don’t turn you back on the enemy. You will prevail!
Shouting the battle cry of freedom!
Oh yay, finally signs of life!
My feelings exactly.
A hearty “Huzzah!!” to the appearance of bare ground. We’re also melting slowly here in Eastern North Dakota, but we’ve got some snow and the dreaded wintry mix of precipitation in the forecast for the next few days. I’m remaining positive though and focusing on seed starting and other garden preparations.
A wise approach.
Your snowy picture is what we still look like…cold still so no melt. Sigh***
I hope things warm up for you soon.
You betcha I can. It is wonderful. I have some snowdrops and crocus blooming too. The only bad thing is that “they” say we are to get 2 inches of snow today. I am sick of what “they” are saying. I hope you thaw completely soon. It feels good to walk on snow free ground.
We had a bit of new snow last night but it was just a dusting and evaporated pretty fast.
Spring is fighting its way here in St. Louis. Yesterday was in the 60s and lovely, and I saw signs of spring in the garden beds beneath the leaves. Today we awoke to sleet, snow showers and gusting winds, a warning that winter is still with us.
My wife just read aloud that that at this time two years ago it was 82 degrees. Today is 21, but it’s supposed to warm up again by Tuesday.
We’ve had no snow here and glad to see it’s finally receding where you are Jason. I’ll bet it’s not long until your garden is lush and green again.
I’m glad Carl’s ‘bits’ are no longer under all that snow 😉
He is also!
The snow is melting slowly here too and refreezing into huge ice puddles. The ground is still so frozen that the melt water can’t seep into it, so it freezes too.
I’ve seen a few more daffodils coming up and a couple of vernal witch hazel blooms, but that’s about it.
I haven’t seen any daffs and, sad to say, don’t have any witchhazels.
Bare ground has never looked better, glad to see you’ve entered the thaw!
Not as glad as I am!
Our snow melted but today it came back. Tired of winter.
Same here.
Oh how wonderful to see your first snowdrops and to hear the ghastly [albeit pretty] white stuff is departing. I hope you don’t have any more, you’ve had your fair share!!! Here’s to your spring.xxx
I’ll drink to that! Got in a lot more melting today, though still a lot more than I would like in the front garden.
I would say you are about a week ahead of us. There is still about 1 foot left on the ground. It is amazing when you think of 3 years ago when it was the opposite. We were then in full spring by mid-march.
I remember that year it seemed as if April arrived in March and May in April.
Glad you’ve caught sight of the snowdrops. Lovely. We had 70s last week but then it turned cold again and, how dare it, snowed today for a brief time. susie
Hasn’t been warmer than 50 here as yet.