Signs

I'm looking for signs of spring... I've hit the mid-winter doldrums. Right now all I'm seeing is snirt (dirty snow) and all sorts of shades of brown and gray.

March is coming up quickly, and while a precursor to spring, it's my least favorite month. March is neither winter or spring. It's so dull and damp and cold. I do have to admit, it does provide the perfect backdrop for those early spring flowers, a time of rebirth!

March does bring The Philadelphia International Flower Show. The theme this year is Springtime in Paris. Oh-lalala, how I would love to be in Paris for the springtime... alas, I will need to settle for this years flower show instead.

My husband has been in New Hampshire visiting his mother and helping to do her taxes - ahhhh... taxes, now that's a sure sign of spring.  He's also stacking wood for her, a reminder that winter still has its grip on us.

While up in the north country he loves to get in the car and just drive, and he's seen some of the maple trees are already tapped. He took this picture on one of those drives.

I do find it a bit ironic that the bucket collecting the sap is very clearly labeled "Not Eddible for Humans". Hummmmmmmm.

He also took this picture in Meredith, NH. You can see some open water peeking through the ice, but the bob-houses are still out on the lake.

I often wonder how many of those bob-houses end up on the bottom of the lake once the ice really breaks???

I just finished reading another book, "Waking up in Eden; In Persuit of an Impassioned Life on an Imperiled Island" by Lucinda Fleeson. While the book is about gardens, plants and flora in Hawaii, it's gotten me antsy to start digging into my garden. I am so looking forward to seeing the nodding white blossoms of the snowdrops,  the bright yellow of the crocus reaching to the sun, followed by bluebells, bleeding hearts, wood anemones...

Witch Hazels in bloom at Kew - February 2009

Last night I was even searching the web for gardening blogs... I especially love English Gardens. I don't know why, but I just love the very carefully planned chaos of an English cottage garden. I'm also envious of the English, their winters tend to me milder, and springtime comes earlier. I really miss seeing the waves of yellow primrose (aka: cowslip) among the brilliant bright green of the new grass... primrose just does not naturalize like that in my part of Pennsylvania.

Right now I have visions of Kew Gardens dancing in my head, and wishing I could find a way to sneak a quick trip to the UK... at least I have these pictures taken in February of 2009 to remind me that spring really is on its way, at least at Kew.

Snowdrops at Kew - February 2009

Purple Crocus at Kew, February 2009

Thankfully Puxatony Phil has predicted an early spring, and soon my little garden and all my favorite local gardens will be in bloom once again. In the mean time, the seed catalogs, flower show and blogs will have to tide me over until I can get my hands into the earth once again.