Spring wings and a foretaste of flowers

At the vernal equinox today, I have seen a nuthatch, a pair of cardinals, pair of pigeons, a mourning dove, two grackles with luminescent dark blue heads, many sparrows, many chickadees, a crow and a pair of American robins, all in our garden. The chipmunk was back too, along with a number of squirrels (who feed upside down like the nuthatch) depleting the stock of seeds in the bird feeder.

The garden still has frozen soil and a large amount of snow, but I discovered the bud of a primula flower hidden behind leaves. No outdoor flowers yet but the nicely small-scale flower show at the horticultural department of Algonquin College is open to the public; four of us went there yesterday and let our eyes feast on the colours there.

As soon as you enter "Building M" you're assailed by the smell of springtime: hyacinths and damp moss. Potted plants line in the entrance hall: hydrangeas, geraniums, tulips on one side, pansies and daffodils and lilies on the other. The walls are hung with student-florists' arrangements along with home-made garden decorations, which also lavishly adorn the ceilings. This year mirrors were featured, making the flowers seem twice as many, as well as circular decorations made from foil pastry pans or embroidery hoops and wrapping paper or cellophane. Spring plants are combined with tropicals and summer annuals in adventurous, but not tasteless ways. In the main room (or greenhouse) steps to higher levels and a couple of water features enhance the general effect of walking into early summer, into a work of art.  (The show closes next Friday.)

Nobody is looking forward to the snow and rain that's due to fall tomorrow. Chris having declared categorically that winter is at an end, we rolled up our wing-covers for the season and brought them home.