These snowdrops first poked up out of the leaf litter in early March, when we had a little spate of warm weather in advance of a giant windstorm that uprooted trees and put thousands out of power. The branch came down in the middle of the small clump of spring, and then the following week, not even a full week later, we were hit with over two feet of snow.
This spring has been crazy -- days where it's 72 for the high and 25 for the low, sustained winds of over 65 miles an hour with gusts of 81, and then a giant dumping of heavy, heavy snow.
But now there's been rain, and while the yard is swampy and scarred by the carnage of the snow plow along the road, I am thrilled that the snowdrops have survived all this. The clump is three times bigger than it was when they first poked out only to be thrust into all the lion March could give, and they grew around that branch that was wrenched off a sassafras tree yards away.
They are a picture of resilience -- of taking a beating over and over only to grow up out of the dead leaves matted by heavy snow, to grow around the branch that tried to squash them, and to grow robustly and defiantly into the only white and a smattering of green in that side garden.
So much inspiration in a stubborn patch of flowering bulbs, finally heralding the promise of spring.
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Your winter sounds like mine, minus the snow dump. (knock on wood). Hearing things like this make me just so ready for spring.
ReplyDeleteSo ready for spring. All things considered, we had a really mild winter -- a big snow in November and then not a whole lot of action until March. March has just been brutal, but spring is coming!
DeleteIt is lovely that you can find inspiration in something as simple, but as beautiful, as some little snowdrops.
ReplyDelete(And this reminded me that though I used to see them where I grew up, I haven't seen any snowdrops for years.)
I saw them and it really stuck with me -- I even left that branch there and didn't clear it, not because I'm lazy and it's been raining (both plausible options), but because I think they are MORE beautiful for growing up around the branch that tried to squash them.
DeleteNo snowdrops in New Zealand? I feel like I need to look into more of your flora and fauna, so fascinating the differences. :)
They are beautiful snowdrops, plump and lovely.
ReplyDeleteThank you! The best thing is that they are spreading about my side and front garden, and I didn't plant them. The lovely thing about bulbs is that they get planted by squirrels and chipmunks, and each year is a bit of a surprise.
DeleteYep, same winter here in New Hampshire - in fact, even though we've had rain off and on for the past couple days, there's still a goodly amount of snow covering our lawn, with only a few patches of bare ground. Love this perspective of resilience, and the picture gives me hope spring might actually show up here sooner rather than later! :)
ReplyDeleteThe snow is finally gone! Now we are in the swamp part, but I'll take it. I just need some days of good weather where I can clean up the soggy leaflitter mess with sticks and stems jutting out that is the state of my gardens. If I'm going to plant new ones, I'd better get cracking! I can only hope planting time is just moments away... And yes. Resilience for the win.
DeleteI have some annuals that came up and somehow survived the cold snap and the heavy snow, too. I don't know what they are, I have zero green thumbs, but resilient indeed.
ReplyDeleteWow, amazing! Things came up and got buried and seem to be reanimating now, although everything is a hot mess since we got snow in November before the gardens were fully cleared out, and now I feel behind the 8 ball. I need to reactivate my green thumb -- the outdoor thumbs are green, Bryce has to do indoor plants since my indoor thumbs fester blackly.
DeleteSame weather. But I saw the snowdrops today too. A reminder that beauty can overcome
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely. The overcoming is a message I need this month. Always lovely to see a spot of hope sprouting up out of disaster...
DeleteWe had zero snow in January, zero in February, and while not two feet we did get several inches a week or so ago. Since then it shot to 70 and dipped to the 40s and 30s.
ReplyDeleteSo yes, weirdness all around.
I will take your snowdrops over snowflakes any day.
Yay spring.
Holy cow. It must be great lakes stuff, too -- everything is super wonky. We had ice last night and now we're supposed to get inches of rain and possibly thunderstorms. Never boring! Yay spring indeed, no more snowflakes please! :)
DeleteYes and they are still beautiful and amazing despite all the hardships!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely! I love these hardy little guys. Beautiful and tough as nails.
DeleteAs I type this, there are SNOW FLURRIES outside my window. Thank you for the reminder that this too shall pass... eventually!! ;)
ReplyDeleteNOOOOO! That's crazy! Spring is coming, I promise. :)
DeleteMay we all be like your snowdrops. I don't think our daffodils fared as well. They poked up and now I fear that they're not going to really bloom. Maybe your snowdrops can talk to our daffodils?
ReplyDeleteOh, the daffodils... same here. Ours started sprouting before the wind and giant snow, and now they are like mini daffodils, stunted. They do look like they will bloom, but they are at least half the height they ought to be. I hope yours bloom eventually -- these perennials are supposed to be able to fare this kind of mercurial weather, but I feel like the extremes of the past few years have really done a number on things.
DeleteAaaaaaah flowers! I'm jealous! (But I did rake the yard the other day and the snow is almost gone. And I bought new sandals, though I still haven't worn them.) Glad these blooms brightened your day.
ReplyDeleteSo beautiful. The flowers, too ;-)
ReplyDelete