b my valentine

Just two more weeks
till Valentine’s Day!.

I can hardly wait. I’m all about hearts and flowers don’t ya know. 

February, too.

February is the LOVE month for those of us who reside in the USA. By the second week in January retailers have packed their shelves with hearts and flowers, candy and cards. Red roses abound! Sweethearts are planning some romantic rendezvous, replete with candle light and soft music. School children are choosing sentimental Valentines with sweet (or possibly savory) snippets to exchange with class mates. Come February 14th – St. Valentine’s Day – we share hugs and a kiss with those we love best, and move swiftly on toward the next occasion for celebration.

The true wonders of February, however, are to be found in another sort of hearts and flowers. February’s most amazing gifts come from nature, as gardens in the Northern hemisphere gather strength for spring. Time in the garden seasons my love of February, probably more intensely than the hearts and flowers we use to decorate our rooms and our blog.

“February, when the days of winter seem endless and no amount of wistful recollecting can bring back any air of summer.”  _Shirley Jackson

In February the paper-whites will bloom on the creek bank,

Yesterday (January 28th) I got this shot of the snowdrops,
the limequat and the blood-orange growing close to the south side
of the sun porch. What’s not to love about February?

Will you be my Valentine?