At this time of year everyone - people, plants and animals – is keeping an eye out for the first signs of spring. The calendar says spring will start later this month, but we all know that Mother Nature can start things a little earlier or later. As a result, there are all sorts of harbingers we look for, including robins and sleepy-groundhog shadows. Of course many plants tell us when winter is about to leave, too.
One of the first signs I look for are clumps of small crocus popping out of the ground. These guys are tough and will tolerate cool and even snowy weather, but their bright, cheery disposition tells me that sunny days are on the way. I think one of their biggest challenges in this garden is people walking around looking up to search for robins and eagles. Then the poor little purple and yellow blossoms get accidentally stepped on. Despite that, they always seem upbeat and reward those who look down as well as up.
Another good sign of spring are the hellebores. There are several species growing here in the Garden, but two are quite interesting right now. The green-flowering Helleborus argutifolius is a surprise to those who find it growing in either the Camellia Garden or the Winter Garden. 
Large dark-green toothed leaves are a good backdrop for the nodding chartreuse flowers. Lenten roses hint at their bloom time in their name, so it is no surprise that you will find their flowers emerging right now all around the Garden. These modest nodding flowers are graced with hues of purple, rose and white.
Of course for many people, daffodils are the ones who issue the clarion call for spring. Bright yellow flowers are hard to miss in the landscape and are especially cheery for eyes used to muted browns and grays of winter. Some daffs are starting to pop out now and thousands more will join them in the weeks to come.
Other flowers are a little more subtle in their announcement of the new season. The fragrant sweetbox or Japanese paperbush are not as flashy, but their perfume reminds us that spring not only brings bright colors, but wonderful fragrances.
For me one of the surest signs of spring is people coming to the Garden. Visitors like to show up on warm days like this last weekend. Their desire to be outdoors reflects everyone’s wish for spring to come. People wandering around, photographing the early blooming flowers and enjoying the fresh air are signs that good times are on the way. Perhaps it is the cumulative body heat of everyone here that gets spring going.
The final sign that spring is here is when a TV crew will come to the Garden to worry about what will happen when the annual cold snap hits the delicate blooming flowers. It happens every year even though they treat it as if it is the first and only time it has happened. Once they leave and the weather warms again, I know spring is here for good.
So help speed up spring and come out the Garden. See you in the daffodils.