croci, snowdrops, orchid

croci4Feb2010.jpg

snowdropmacro.jpg

snowdropmacro2.jpg

purplewhiteOrchid.jpg

Putting aside work at the computer for a lunch break, I just had to first go outside into the garden to enjoy some of today’s sunshine and spring-like temperatures (12C or almost 54F). I noticed that the buds of the early crocuses (croci?) have now fully opened, the earliest ever in our garden, I think. Usually they bloom for my husband’s birthday at the end of February, just rarely for mine two weeks earlier.

My hellebore is full of buds with a few open now but looking quite sad with black spots all over, so no photo of it this time. I really must move it to a spot where it is out of the rain.

The snowdrops are always early starting in the beginning of January with the long-stemmed singles and now being followed by the shorter doubles. I picked a bunch of the long stemmed ones for indoors and thought I’d play with some more macro photos. While I was at it, the phalaenopsis orchid became another subject for closeups. What fun!

Meanwhile, about three dozen loads of snow a day is being trucked in from as far away as Manning Park, more than two hours drive east of Vancouver, in order to have Cypress Mountain ready for the Olympics. How green is that?

P.S. – a few hours later – just heard on the suppertime news that we hit 13C (55F)!

February 4, 2010 in Canada and BC by Marja-Leena