Preview Of Coming Attractions

I knew on my first trip outside outside this morning that something was different.  The birds were singing and there was  warmth  in the air.  The snow pack had shrunk enough for me to get out and take a few pictures.  Most of the garden is still out of my camera's reach.  The coneflower  seed heads that stood tall for so long have been bent down by the snow.  There aren't many seeds left.  Most of the seed heads have been picked clean.

Two coneflower seeds are shown here on crystals of ice that used to be fluffy snow.  They bear a resemblance to a sunflower seed, but are much smaller and flatter. The now increasing presence of the sun is making itself known.  Brown patches of grass and puddles are getting bigger and bigger while the formerly fluffy white snow shrivels down to ice.

The rusty color of my curly spearmint caught my attention. I never noticed its winter coloration before.  I grow it to use in cooking and for tea.  It spreads like all mints do and I know for sure that when spring actually arrives, the patch will be bigger than it was last year.  Some plants you can always count on to thrive.

So here is a preview of coming attractions in the garden.  Once the ice is gone there will be weeds to pull, plants to trim back and best of all promising new spring plant growth.  This catnip can hardly wait to get started.  It may only be February, but the sap buckets are out, the sun is getting stronger, the days are getting longer.  I'm ready for spring and I'm not alone!