Happy Groundhog Day!

On this cold winter day, popular American culture turns to nature to get a sense of when spring might arrive. And like most years, the experts disagree. Depending on which is your favorite oracle woodchuck, spring will begin either immediately or on schedule, six weeks from now.

In reality, spring marches forward and the signs of spring are already starting. On a clear still night, listen for the hooting of the great horned owls, who begin courtship and nesting in early January.  The hellebore flower buds, buried under a layer of leaves, are already beginning to swell.  And in the next several weeks, the skunk cabbage in the local marshes will begin to bloom.

If you are like many gardeners, spring is a great time of year, and the sooner it arrives, the better. Check your garden on any  series of a few warm days, and you may be rewarded with a stray blossom from a plant that is also anxious for a new growing season.