Hello Hellebores

I picked the first hellebores yesterday. They really make a great cut flower, lasting a week or so inside,  but a little messy, dropping their stamens all over. And they are such a great perennial--sturdy and dependable, green year round, and with flowers in winter. Mine have been blooming for more than a month now. They like sun in the winter and shade in the summer, so they are happiest under deciduous trees.  Nothing else coming up yet in the garden, no daffodils, but I have seen some crocus in my neighbor's yard starting to make an appearance.

This is such funny weather, some mornings this week I woke up and it felt like spring.  But it's colder than I think outside. And now it's supposed to get very cold over the weekend, and they're even talking about possible snow next week. Just when I start feeling like winter might be over!