Hi. I don't have any hellebore as I'm nearly all full sun, but I was really excited to see some bulbs breaking ground. Like your hellebore, they were pushing away the matted leaves. I worried that by moving the leaves away, I could be making them vulnerable to the next cold snap we have. There are no flowers of course, but big fat green shoots! I even saw a pair of robins in the yard. Yahoo!

Nothing's open yet or even close in my yard. I've still got snow on half the yard but the part that's clear has some crocus putting out leaves and I'm seeing just the tips of snowdrops and daffodils breaking the soil. The thing that's making me most happy is that even with the cold now, a couple of salvias are greening up and one of the rhubarb is putting out its first leaf. I just hope that these early starters don't drown in the rains we've had and those that are coming Friday night!

My snowdrops are budding and might be blooming today. I also noticed the yellow buds of Winter Aconite just starting to break ground. And the red winged blackbirds and calling like it was Spring!

Saw my first robin of the year this morning ! Could hear them calling, but didn't spot one until a little while later. I was so hoping for a nice weekend to maybe get out and start some basic cleanup, but the forecasted rains will probably put a stop to that. Ground will be waaaay to wet to do anything but sink into the dirt!

Wall to wall snow. Whatever's hiding under there will have to wait a few weeks to see some sun!

Wow - after living here close to 10 years the plants are making me look silly, again. On Friday I said nothing was close and I get home today to see a couple of yellow crocus actually in flower! The rains washed away most of the snow for me and the bulbs really want to get going and make up for lost time ... the crocus were up almost 10 days earlier for me last year. Here's to hoping that the slightly warmer weather forecast for the middle of the week helps everyone out and we get to start seeing some color in the garden again.

wow, you have actual flowers opening ?? Nice !! So far, I still have the hellebore - they are definitely opening up - nice to see the spots of purple and pinky-yellow here and there. Plenty of green tips from bulbs showing everywhere - I'm hoping for some blossoms in time for easter.

Although there sure seems to be a lot more matted leaf debris than I recall seeing before. There are some beds that are in a shady section that I am sure should be showing bulbs, but the leaf cover on the ground is so heavy, I'm not sure they can break thru. Now the forecast is showing showers for the next 5 days or so, and that does not help that. Was hoping to get some cleanup this weekend, but will be difficult to do that in the rain ! I'm a bit impatient to get out there and get to work :-)

I have had snowdrops blooming for 2 weeks now. I planted lots of spring bulbs against the south side of my house so I'd get early bloom. Daffodils there have buds and crocus are up but not yet blooming.

I saw first robin today and the phoebe (flycatcher) birds are back. They nest on my house ledge every year. This winter the nest was covered with webs. Can't wait to see what the birds do with it.

I have seeds started under lights and the cabbage/lettuce/viscaria/hollyhocks are up. I'm so excited!

Some tunneling bugger has eaten the roots of my perennials in the fenced-in garden. Now I start my forever-never-ending war with catching them.

Nothing is up yet. Some green leaves, but that includes ones that have fallen off and been preserved in snow and ice all winter! The ground is still frozen solid. Plenty of birds are back.

My daffodils are up about 5 inches in my sunniest bed. The others are just breaking ground. Soon enough it'll be time for garden clean-up.

Snowdrops have been up for about 2 weeks, crocus are in various stages of coming up and blooming (snow crocus) and the tulips on the sunny side of the house are coming up 1 - 3 inches. Also have some daffodils coming up. Shade beds in the front of the house were still mostly frozen this weekend.

I set out my garlic clips on Saturday, trying to get an early start on deer repellent measures - last year they ate every single crocus bloom in one day!!!