I am seeing a lot of buds on a lot of perennials :-) And in many cases, a lot more than just buds or newly emerging shoots.

Some of my daylilies, tulips and daffodils are peaking up. Not fast enough for me. The days it does get in the 50s it is raining. People want to get rid of the cabin fever.

Floral_uk, your garden looks great already. We have a ways to go in my area.

djacobz..I took a stroll today..my sedum look just like yours!..no blooms on anything but I saw surprise lilies, daffodils and crocus on the way..

I saw some tulips up about 3" . It was pretty exciting.

I am seeing a lot of daffodils pushing out of the soil around Baltimore. In another one of my balcony pots, I see what I think is my bleeding heart poking a feathery leaf up out of the soil. This one is another one which lost its I.D. tag during the move, darn it.

Appreciate the reminders that there's hope for we gardeners here.

Thank you Floral; your picture's a big pick-me-up. Love the flower bed and all that live in it.

It’s early spring here!

This is Stiletto, Hacksaw is close behind, and both my montana A’s have been up so long they have been frozen into mush already. I’ll be walking around covering things Sunday, but other than the 25F predicted for Sunday night, it’s lows above freezing for the next two weeks. Time for me to do spring clean up.

zkathy..Wow 😀..I wish my plants were on the same schedule..but I am happy that mine are on the way!

Ah, spring almost here!

Floral, I love your border. So cheerful. I love the dark and light hellebores with the Daffodils. I think the whole scene with the trellises, the obelisk and the garage? in the background, is such a pretty picture! How long have you had that planting in that location to have such full Hellebores?

Kathy, you are ahead of us, but doesn't seem like more than 2 or 3 weeks. I'm surprised. Really pretty daffodils and I love your wall!

In our garden, today, the snowdrops are open and daffodil foliage is up about halfway with some flower buds starting to appear. Crocus foliage and other bulbs are starting to show foliage. There is growth underneath the debris on the Sedums and Chrysanthemums but I'm not cleaning up yet. I want to see if we are in for any more cold snowy weather first.

It looks like spring, smells like spring, the sun is warmer....in another couple of weeks it will really start to sink in.

I've lived in this house for thirty years. The Hellebores put themselves there mostly. I started with one from my dad's garden, one I actually bought (highly unusual for me) and one I got from my fil's garden after he died.

The building in the background is our shed.

Those hellebores must really love it there, they are gorgeous. Mine still struggle to produce a good head, since we have cold winters and clay/loam soil. Those that are doing better than the others are in a little bit more protected space and near the foundation of the house. Really very pretty! And that is a shed? Wow, it's a great size, looks like a great spot to work on plants.

I have two hellebores, Ivory Prince Lenton Rose and Royal Heritage.They we’re not doing well in the shady spots I had planted them. It was recommended by members that I should move them into more sun. I did so and am looking forward to seeing them bloom, I hope.

At the local Metro: been looking at them for several days (where they don't seem to be selling). Don't usually buy them at this time, but couldn't resist one. Just brought it in for the night. From occasional past experience, the falling stamens make a mess until hellebores can be planted out.

Gold Collection: Ice and Roses (Early Red).

Spring is early this year - too early. Camellias opening one day, frozen the next. Star magnolia would look great until a hard freeze comes. Hellebores can take the heat (freeze in this case) and always perk back up. Okame cherry trees are done for this year and the pear trees have been blooming for a couple of weeks now.

Feb 25 in the backyard.

Asarum 'Panda'

Arum italicum is up for the challenge

dark red camellia showing some frost damage

These blooms look normal on the star magnolia but there are probably half that are damaged from the cold.

Variegated Alstroemeria is a bit weedy (but I like that)

Sunny borders that is a beautiful hellebore. he mcdole, your garden are looking good. I did notice here in se WI that my few crocuses are starting to pop up. Just noticed yesterday.

Lots of buds and a handful of flowers in zone 6b Eastern Pennsylvania. But we skipped winter for no reason this year.

We seemed to have skipped winter as well. We have had .5inches of precipitation according to the weather person. That's a half an inch. That seems a little bit of an exaggeration to me. I think I'd believe 4 or 5 inches, but still. In 2015 we had 64 inches of precipitation over the winter. And average has to be about 32 inches.

So for the first time I can remember, I need to get the hoses out and start watering already.

Jenn - your garden is looking very pretty already. I love the way the light is hitting your hellebore and it's such a plump flower on it. What is that pink flower bud top row middle?

Hoses! Crikey. We've had the wettest February since records began in 1862.

pics from this morning..what's funny is the crocus I planted are up but not blooming..these bloomers I didn't plant..the ones I planted by the mailbox are missing in action..did my aggravating squirrels move to these new locations?..I was thrilled to see my sad clearance peony has some red pips!

Lucky you, Floral!

I've given up on crocus for the most part. I still have a nice patch of them in amongst vinca under a maple that looks very good most years. But others' I've planted in different parts of the yard, disappeared from the chipmunks, or squirrels or some thing. I've decided to plant more snowdrops instead and later daffodils and hyacinths to avoid the crazy early weather patterns.

if I spend any effort to plant bulbs I think I'll just do daffodils..I have a lot already but I love mass plantings..daffodils are dependable..beautiful..what could be better?..

Not that lucky. It's been far too wet. Farmland is sodden and unworkable and there's been terrible flooding in some places.

...but something else.

Spring has sprung in my planters. I dislike empty planters . I keep something in them year round depending on the season. Fake ya, but I can't plant them until around mothers day.

Floral, I'm sorry to hear that. I think you are right, I would rather be dry than too wet. It's all about needing just the right amount of something and how hard it is becoming to tolerate the changes and the volatility.

functionthenlook - very colorful!

Had a few warm days with lots of sun. Below: today. Just realized/read that snowdrops are poisonous (if ingested). That's likely why we still have so many of the snowdrops planted over the years. Crocuses here get mined over winter by voles (meadow mice). (Apparently, snowdrops cause skin irritation in some gardeners).

I picked up a garden auger bit for a cordless drill - maybe 24" long and 2.5 " diameter. This is great for planting bulbs and small plants - quick and fairly easy. Be careful though as it can hit a rock or root and twist your wrist if you aren't prepared. I planted 140 daffodils last fall in very quick order.

Prairiemoon, thanks. The middle flower in the top row is Pieris japonica 'Valley Rose' which is an evergreen shrub also called Japanese andromeda. It's new to my garden this year, but settled in beautifully after its fall planting.

Jenn, that is a gorgeous Pieris flower. I love Pieris but I have been unsuccessful in growing them in my garden. I'm not sure whether it's too cold or the soil is too dry. Something about my garden they don't like. Lucky you!

floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK where do you live that you have THAT MUCH color already??