It's Meteorological Spring!

 

A local witch hazel bush is covered with squiggly flowers now, despite the sudden return of frigid temperatures. My fingers nearly froze while I was taking pictures of it this morning! It's officially spring now, starting March 1 according to the reckoning of meteorologists. In another 17 days, we'll achieve astronomical spring at the equinox.

To recap -- the crocuses in my yard came out last week. Click to enlarge. 

Snowdrops appeared in early February.

And now this. Welcome, early bloomers!

Witch Hazel

I was outside today in the relative warmth of this February thaw. I found witch hazel blooming here near Philadelphia! Yay!

Witch hazel is a shrub. Its stem-hugging clusters of flowers give welcome color to the gray winter landscape. Click to enlarge.

Each flower has four long slender petals that look to me like crumpled ribbons.

Strange and lovely, no?

They come in shades of yellow, too. Reassuring to see that nature is on track. Witch hazel in February. Daffodils before you know it.