The little yellow Winter Aconites are in bloom. It has been the most extraordinary winter, here in southern Ontario. We have had hardly any snow, perhaps six inches altogether. Right now the ground is not frozen at all! Not frozen? In early February? we were out today gardening- pruning off the old hydrangeas that didn’t get done last fall and cutting back the stalks in the perennial garden: we leave those on for the winter to give texture to the garden. The snowdrops and aconites appear together. The earliest I have ever seen either of those previously has been the very end of February,usually mid-March. It is quite astonishing. The hellebores are thrusting up their fat rosy buds, and the rhododendrons, usually struggling to survive around now, are looking quite contented, also with a profusion of big buds.
I must admit that I did not paint this sketch ‘en plein air’. Even though it is 7ºC today, and sunny, I wouldn’t be able to sit out that long; can’t take the cold like I used to. So I took a couple of reference photos and spent a pleasant interlude in my studio.
Just glorious, Andrew--beautiful little flowers!
ReplyDeleteso pretty Andrew! I love the way you treated the background. I have yellow crocus blooming in VA along with winter jasmine and the honeysuckle shrub which smells heavenly. All are earlier than usual.
ReplyDeleteVery nice "bouquet"!!!
ReplyDeleteLovely work, and yes, the flowers are surprisingly alive here as well; several bulbs are about to raise their heads.
ReplyDeleteThe zingy colour of these really caught my eye today. I love the suggestion of their habitat, it makes them all the more bright and cheerful.
ReplyDeleteThanks everyone,for the nice thoughts. I do prefer to do my 'nature sketching' right on the spot, so am seldom active in this sort of thing in winter; but I couldn't resist these cheerful little harbingers of spring.
ReplyDelete