Galanthus (Snowdrops) © 2005 Darcy Daniels

These photos were taken just days ago, before the most recent cold snap. It's going to sound crazy, but even now, while we are in the grips of an ice storm I can't help but feel that we are on the verge of spring. Seed & bulb catalogs crowd my mailbox, each vying for my attention and their share of my budget. I know that within the next day or so, the weather will clear, the ice will melt and the sun will shine. Before you know it, the garden shows will commence (Seattle first, then back-to-back shows in Portland) and the gardening public will be stirred into a frenzy of anticipation. Upon reviewing and planning my own calendar, I see the weeks melt away as I plug in tasks and projects, my own as well clients’, which need to be completed before spring truly arrives.