Today is beautiful and if the behaviour of my cats is any indication, spring is on the way (despite the piles of snow still all around).

These popped up seemingly overnight. To me, aconite is always the earliest sign of spring. Their cheerful yellow flowers seem designed to provide a spot of hope during the lingering days and portents of winter. These flowers used to appear under my childhood bedroom winter until my dad dug them up and transported them to my house last fall.

While most of my back yard is still under mounds of snow, the sun lays in during the afternoon hours and warms a small patch of earth next to my back porch. In this warm spot I planted snow drops, crocuses and the early spring greens (sorrel, lovage, bloody dock, salad burnet). This year the snow drops have made their appearance almost a week earlier than last year.

I’m most excited about seeing the bloody dock make an appearance. The sorrel, lovage and salad burnet can’t be much behind which means fresh salads from my garden in the next few weeks. The greens have strong, sometimes bitter flavours which act as a palate cleanser for the heavier foods of winter.

Now I’m itching to sow the lettuces, spinach and peas but need to wait at least another month before they can go into the ground.

In the meantime I’ll enjoy the promise offered by the spring heralds.

Despite the weather being undecided, I know it’s spring because my bulbs have begun their flowering. It brings me such joy to see these small bursts of colour in the garden.

This little orange crocus looks like it’s burning in the afternoon sun.

The “Glory in the Snow” didn’t make an appearance until after the snow (although some wet stuff may head our way tomorrow), but I’m enjoying the little blue flowers nestled under the Haskap Berry bushes that have just started showing some leaf bud swelling.

But this little gem is my favourite, the ring of orange in the centre sets off the cream to perfection.

The garden comes to life – what a fabulous time of year.