january roses

This is the centerpiece of the largest formal rose garden in Florida, part of the Henry P. Leu Gardens in Orlando.  I was here a couple of weeks ago, delighted by roses and 70 degree weather in January.  It will probably be April before we see roses like this in North Carolina, but this garden was a sweet reminder of what's coming.

Snowdrops

Galanthus elwesii

Snowdrops (Galanthus), like orchids and tulips, have their wildly passionate advocates.   They can become an obsession.  Author/blogger John Grimshaw recently posted on his blog that a galanthophile had purchased a single bulb of Galanthus 'Green Tear' for 360 British pounds (that's $564 USD)!

I can't say I would pay large sums for a bulb, but I am among the charmed.  The diminutive size, dainty, nodding blooms, fresh white and green color, and a fragrance you notice as you kneel for a photograph, make them entirely captivating.  I added dozens of bulbs to my garden last fall.  Now they are blooming and every morning there are new spots of light in the leaf litter.  Be still, my besotted heart!

~*~