Piles of snow from the big storm that blew in while we were on vacation grow smaller every day. Rivers of snowmelt flow down the streets. A few days ago, I spotted a hyacinth poking up in my front flower bed. A hyacinth. In January. What a delight.
We walk through the doors at the local garden shop and fragrant pots of hyacinths in bloom chase residual winter from my mind. A small rack filled with seed packets greets us. I open the door of the cooler where cut flowers are kept and step inside. There are cheery yellow daffodils and pink tulips among the more traditional bouquets—not many, but enough to entice.
“It’s so good to be here again!” I tell the clerk when we pay for a bunch of the tulips.
The weather forecasters are calling for record-breaking temperatures by the end of the week. Record-breaking in the right direction, as opposed to the record-breaking deep freeze that settled over the province a few weeks ago.
It’s early. I’ve been fooled before, thinking winter was over, then been surprised by a late-season storm. It could happen again. Whether winter raises her head with one last blustery blast, or we continue the trajectory toward spring, either way: every day is one day closer to gardening season.
I’m so ready for spring too.
I’m almost afraid to even think it, but it seems like the worst of winter is behind us. Won’t it feel good to go outside for extended periods of time again?!
We have uncommonly warm weather for ND…it’s been in the 20s and 30s for over a week. But I’m a realist and know that spring is still about 3+ months away.