The First Sign of Spring

It felt like spring yesterday with temperatures rising to almost ten degrees Celsius here on the west coast of British Columbia. Its amazing what the sun does to people. I dropped by West Coast Seeds and the store was full of people looking to buy seeds and seed trays and get their summer garden going. I have all my seeds ready to sow but that's a whole other post.

Even thought winter is still here, there are signs of spring approaching in the garden.The first flower to show its tiny head is the snowdrop or Galanthus. Galanthus is the Latin word for milk white flowers, hence the color of the flowers. The blooms are nodding white flowers and are about an inch across. The plant grows to between four to six inches high. Now not everyone has an easy time growing snowdrops. The bulbs you buy in the garden centers in the fall for spring bloom have a tendency to dry out. It is best to receive division of this plant when it is in the green. Have someone dig up a small clump of snowdrops to get you started. Once you get your new clump of snowdrops home you can divide them or plant them as is. If you decide to divide the clump, gently tease the roots apart with your hands being careful not to break the roots. Snowdrops can be planted in almost any well drained soil. A moist soil is best but not too wet. They prefer a semi-shaded site and are best grown in the shade of shrubs or trees or along a woodland path. Once planted snowdrops will last a lifetime in your garden and bring joy to all who see them.

In the front garden I spotted the Hellebores just starting to send new shoots up.I cant wait for the blooms to come. We gardeners are an impatient bunch.Looking back at old posts over the last two years, I found that the blooms I see now are right on time. So interesting to see how mother nature's schedule is exactly on time.