Wordless Wednesday: Buds of the New Growing Season

Shared Grace and Savored Grace

Pollinator on Crocus vernus 'Pickwick'

It's that time of year when blog posts are out of date by the time I get them up and published. These photos are from two days ago, and some of these blooms are fading now. It's also the time of year, in my climate, when plants that bloom in a more staggered timeline in a warmer climate bloom all at once here in the north (USDA zone 5a).

Galanthus nivalis  'Flore Pleno'

Galanthus nivalis

Eranthus hyemalis

Blooms considered winter flowers in the south (Snowdrops and Winter Aconites) must wait until March or April to bloom here.

Crocus tommasinianus

Because of our cool temperatures but plenty of sun, the 'Tommie' Crocuses have been blooming for about a week now.

Crocus vernus

C. vernus

The larger Dutch Crocuses are blooming at the same time as the "earlier" flowers. (I find it fascinating how the same flower can look very different when photographed at different times of day, in different light, and from different angles.)

C. vernus 'Pickwick'

These striped beauties are in a very sunny spot. They appear to be multiplying and they seem to be favorites of the pollinators. I keep lava rocks and foil around them to discourage squirrels and chipmunks from digging, and rabbits from eating.

Narcissus 'Tete-a-Tete'

The tiny Daffodils are at their peak.

Trumpet Narcissus

Larger Narcissus are just beginning.

Hyacinthus orientalis

It won't be long for the Hyacinths.

Helleborus 'Sandy Shores'

Finally, the Hellebores definitely will be blooming today. This one, from two days ago, is a first bloom on a new plant for me: I'll look forward to its open face within hours. The other Hellebores, in a different spot, started opening yesterday.

During these difficult times, sharing our plant-love and gardening joys is more important than ever. That is our shared grace. On the day that I photographed these first flowers, I saw my first butterfly of the season. My heart jumped and I smiled, even though no one was looking. I didn't have my camera handy, and I wasn't able to follow it, so I don't know if it was a Mourning Cloak or an Eastern Comma, because it fluttered up and away too fast. But it was a sign of hope. It was a savored grace.