Afternoon Photos

I wanted photos to go with my post yesterday. It needed photos. I felt I owed you photos of:

Witch Hazel flowering, and

Pussy Willows budding against the bare blue sky.
So my camera and I headed out yesterday afternoon, two small dogs in tow, to snap some photos of these hopeful signs of spring. My efforts were repaid with interest.

I had not realized the Dutch Iris would be blooming.

These grow on a south facing slope, in a sheltered location, the rest of the gardens (other than the snowdrop bed) are still very dormant. But this small surge of Spring poking holes through winter-faded fall leaves, oh, that makes my heart sing with certainty of the coming season.