As the sun angle slowly increases and winter loses it’s grip on Iowa, many people catch themselves thinking of those warm days ahead, and we start to anticipate the starting the next season – spring! We are coming up on my favorite time of year, and what an exciting time to be here in Iowa. Of course it’s still clearly winter as we still have cold and snow cover, but just think of it… we are essentially at the tipping point! The forecast is calling for 40’s & 50’s by the end of next week, reminding us how soon snow will melt away – trees will bud, and flowers will bloom. I’ve actually had one snowdrop blooming in my garden since January 31st and today’s sun revealed it is still blooming, but it doesn’t look quite as nice after five days below freezing… one of which dipping down to 6°. I did noticed the other snowdrops that were sprouting have grown a little bit and look as though even one warm day would push them into blooming. The Snow Crocus (seen above) has been restless the past few days, stuck in the near blooming stage, seemingly being teased as the mid-February sun beams the snowcover back on the south side of my house, keeping them warm and uncovered. Last year, these flowers bloomed on March 10th. It is likely they will be earlier this year.

I love to look at spring blooming trees and shrubs like Magnolia and Forsythia this time of year, because the buds on them are so plump and ready to pop once the warm weather comes in. It’s exciting to think how each oversized bud holds a beautiful flower within. Isn’t it amazing how the delicate flowers of a forsythia are kept safe there until it’s warm enough to bloom without being damaged? March 21st of last year is when I saw my first flowers on the shrub above. It may be cold and snowy now, but just keep warm thoughts in the back of your mind, and appreciate this season as spring will arrive sooner than you think!