Spring Around the Corner ?

It has been so dreary lately, I am desperate for signs of spring.  Any and all of them.  One of the tasks I need to do is to prune the roses.  While they can be done in July, many suggest waiting until 1 August to do this, so any new growth will not get frost bitten, as risk of frosts should have passed by 3 weeks or so after that date (when new growth would emerge).  I know from past experience that roses here  spring to life fast and well, this is a perfect growing area for them.  So I went out to trim the first lot, it being quite close to 1 August.  And I have many to do, so will be doing this off and on all week.  I got about 20-25% of them done in this first session, and have nearly filled our green bin already.  (the rest will be piled up to fill it after it gets emptied next Saturday).

I found a few early signs of spring coming soon.  Lovely coral red blossoms that open just before and during the month of August,  I will have branches for the next few weeks, to put into a favourite cut glass vase.  And small marguerite daisies.  Paperwhite jonquils, which are especially fragrant filling the room with their scent the first several days after I bring them in.  And a few creamy and bright yellow jonquils too.  Cute little grape hyacinths, with their intoxicating perfume.  And a few crazy silly roses that have still been blooming, right up to Rose Pruning Week !  A few pink, two yellow, and one red.

lalala...Pookie.just happens to turn up
after a basket of flowers
is brought in the house

 I collected a basket of flowers to take in.  It did not take long for Pookie to come around to check out what was happening.

Now he is curious !

Coming in for a little sniff.  Yum, jonquils !
(fortunately the cats do not eat these, but the last of winter's roses have already been "enjoyed" and grazed!)

The flowers make it feel like spring is soon to come.