One step back…

…two ahead. By now there should be a spring in our dance step – and there is. I can tell because it squishes. This week another 2″ of rain fell. But on top of that, a frosting of sleet. A lot of wind blew in the latest storm, making a few open daffodils kiss the ground, and the temperatures have dipped back to winter. Turns out, it’s a good thing spring is “late” (or on time, more or less) because so many of the daffodils are only budded, still standing tall and waiting to shout the spring hurrah over the next few sunny and warm days. Same goes for the cherry trees. Our magnolias too are so well sited, in enough shade to keep them from blooming on the early side of spring, that their flowers won’t have been burned and ruined by the freeze. And on the whole, spring is made of pretty tough stuff. One little step back to winter-ish-ness won’t stop it for a minute. Proof is in the pictures I took yesterday (hover over for captions or click to enlarge). And the next few chilly (not freezing, thank goodness) nights will help sustain the show, which, safe to say, will keep getting lovelier from here on in.

Fallen Narcissus 'Ice Follies'Golden tansy and a smattering of sleetStar magnolia (Magnolia stellata) opening slowly from the top downMagnolia x loebneri 'Leonard Messel'Tulip 'Quebec'Foliage emerging - Sorbaria sorbifolia 'Sem'Siberian squill (Scilla siberica)Trout lily/dog-tooth violet (Erythronium americanum)Cornelian cherry (Cornus mas)

Did winter revisit your garden this week too?