The cold snap of December has given way to cool and cloudy days of early January, when the temperatures rarely descend below freezing at night. Days are a mix of rainshowers and gray clouds that occasionally allow a bit of blue to peep through.
Here in the Gulf Islands of BC, small signs of spring are already extending above ground. Each little new green shoot lifts my spirits and whispers of the warm days to come. Yesterday, on my way back from the compost bin, I passed by a half-barrel where I had planted all the extra tulip bulbs that I couldn’t find room for in the gardens.
Guess what! One spear of green had poked its head above the brown earth, and was already standing a good two inches tall! In the corner bed, under the protection of low-growing California lilacs, several of my Siberian squill have awakened, and they too are already above ground. I’m not sure if these are brave, or just fool-hardy little plants. We have experienced freezing and snow as late as March here, but rarely.
Squill in my garden
After our two week stint of minus 15 degree temperatures in December, and unprotected by a lack of snow, I thought my previously hardy calendulas were goners, looking very bedraggled and frozen. I’ve hung onto these, and enjoyed copious blooms all fall and into early December. So, I cut them back, removing all the stems that seemed beyond help, and today, in early January, one of them is bravely flowering.
Plants are marvelous. They give us such joy and hope. And can be a ray of light in the dark of winter.
