Southern Living

When I was little, spring’s arrival was heralded by the arrival of purple and yellow in a patch of the front yard. In the days leading up to their bloom, my dad would get me out of bed in the morning with an update on the crocus growth “come look, their shoots poking up through the dead leaves and snow” – and up I would hop, eager to confirm with my own eyes. Of course, this happened in April (and yes, sometimes there was still snow on the ground) – not February!

Having migrated down the east coast over the past seven years, I now find myself in a place where the daffodils are already blooming, the crocuses are up, and the pansies --- well, I’m not sure they ever even died. Apparently, pansies are a “winter flower” --- a term I had previously defined as exotic flowers grown in warm, sweaty greenhouses while the snow fell outside. But today, it IS snowing. The pansies, crocuses, and daffodils are all dusted in white, but best of all, work is closing early. Maybe there are some benefits to living in a place where the flowers come up too early and the city budget doesn’t include snow plows.