I’m a Californian, so I think it should be Spring now. In New York, though, where I spend a lot of time, it most definitely isn’t. It’s snowy (well, mostly slushy) and bitter cold, and there’s still no sign of change in the air. Winter has worn out its welcome, at least with me.
Of course, the calendar tells me that Spring is right around the corner, or at least the corner after next (March goes in like a lion and comes out like a hyena), so I just need to suck it up and pace myself. To help with this, I’ve been doing things like getting together a Spring wardrobe for Julia (and myself), planning our garden in Southampton, and keeping early Spring flowers around the house. (My coffee table tulip garden is going strong.)
I’ve particularly enjoyed these grape hyacinths on my desk. I bought two four-inch pots of them when there were just sprouting, squeezed them into desk-friendly 9x5x5 zinc-lined kiri wood box and finished them with a few tufts of preserved moss. It’s been nice to watch them grow and flower against the frigid urban landscape outside.
Small pots of grape hyacinth and other early bulbs like narcissus and daffodils are available now at garden centers and flower shops for just a few dollars. (I got mine at one of the many shops on 28th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues in New York.) The kiri wood box was $10 at Jamali Garden Supply, located at 149 W28th Street, New York, and online at www.jamaligarden.com.
