Spring is late this year up here in the north but it is slowly getting warmer.
The lake by the summer cottage finally lost its ice cover yesterday. It was fun to watch the ice slowly drift away and clear water to emerge.
Not many flowers bloom yet and not much to see but the Crocuses (Crocus vernus) are starting their show.
I do not have many of them simply because their season is usually very short and I prefer longer blooming spring flowers. They sure are beautiful though.
No signs of spring yet up here in the north. Days are getting longer and I am getting more and more impatient. Still two more months to go before you can plant something outside.
That does not seem to stop me from planting everything possible inside. Chilies have germinated and so have the coleus seeds. Yesterday found some herb seedlings and failed to resist the temptation. Hope that did not buy them too early. There is simply not enough daylight available yet.
A pot of crocuses found its way to my flat today. Usually do not buy them because the central heating makes them bloom in seconds. Now I am storing them between the window glasses where it is cooler. Hopefully not too cold, already managed to freeze to death a pot of daffodils.
Slowly running out off space inside. Planted some ornamental brassicas to day and now trying to figure out a where to put them and hoping for an early spring this year.
There are still many things to do before the winter arrives. One of the matters is to find suitable spring flowers for the next year. Options are many and it is hard not to buy everything possible.
I wondered around in a shop and saw what I was looking for. Shelves after shelves of bulbs waiting for planting. I knew what I wanted. I went directly to the crocuses. I wanted something that blooms early right after the snow is gone. Something colorful to wipe away all the whiteness.
Crocuses are reliable. You can always count on them. Usually the blooms only last few days but on those days you appreciate all the bright colors. After few weeks you forget your early friends as other plants conquer the garden hiding the tiny crocus leaves. But you remember your forgotten friends again next year when they are there delighting your spring.
I admit that when I returned home and went online I bought few other bulbs. Just to be sure that I have enough things to wait for.
PS. I bought my crocuses from Stockmann. They usually have good offers for their regular customers.
Gardening in the North 