Springing forward in leaps and bounds

In many parts of Canada, February is the longest month of the year.  Cartoonist Lynn Johnston once had one of her characters describe it as "the four month period between January and March".  I identified with that quip because, at that time,  I lived in Canada's Northwest Territories, where the first frost arrived in August, and spring breakup wasn't until late May.  February was a very long, cold, dark month.

But here on Vancouver Island, February is one of the months I most enjoy, because most years it is when spring emerges.  And that is certainly the case this year.  I began capturing a few 'spring is almost here' photos about ten days ago - shoots poking through last fall's leaves, leaf buds swelling on the Indian plum trees, trees heavy with catkins or fuzzy pussywillow-type buds, crocuses poking their heads up, and of course the snowdrops in full bloom.

The first new growth appears through old leaves

Crocuses 

Fluffy buds on a magnolia tree

Indian Plum, one of the first bushes to come into leaf here.

But before I could even get around to editing those photos and blogging about spring, those spring signs grew and blossomed exponentially, and more appeared - swelling daffodil buds (and one wide open in a friend's garden),  periwinkle blossoms, perennial herbs emerging in the pots on my patio, magnolias about to burst into flower, an early rhodo showing its red tips, new red growth on the photinia shrubs, a lone anenome in my garden.

Oregano, chives, parsley and mint

Periwinkle

Photinia

Anenome

And today still more -  green leaves opening on the lilacs and hydrangea and willows, an iris in full bloom in my garden.

First iris of spring in my garden

It's hard to finish up other blogs I have stacking up, when spring is calling out my name.