Finding Winter: And a bit more.

The Ranuncu-what?  Or, so said many of the fiance's I have met with over the years when I suggested this flower for their wedding. The dollop sized bloom has an incredible range of colors and in the hoop house (a plastic covered tunnel in which you plant directly in the ground) we spied the first one of the "season".   We were out on our walk and took a peak among the rows of fresh foliage growing taller every day.  This is what we found.....

Ranunculus

Little Lola is particularly fond of this bloom because I told her it is a cousin to the buttercup.  Every child loves a buttercup and that moment of hesitation when we prove once and for all whether or not you like butter.  Just take a look at this buttercup photo, can you see the resemblance?

Creeping Buttercup

 Outside the hoop house, nestled right in the open air was a bed of hellebores, heads bowed, muted-purple petals soaking in the sun.  I did mention it's been warm right?

After our two brilliant finds Lola and I continued our walk to the hydrangea fields which in summer are a stunning sight.  The peegee hydrangea have not been pruned and the dry heads stick out like lanterns gone dark.  We walk between them, Lola ducking under the branches and spinning around in a sort of fairy dance.  She finds a branch of oak leaf hydrangea, three tiny blossoms still attached and swings it in the wind.  It drops to the floor as a breeze kicks in.  Staring off through the fields at a freshly setting sun she says, "Mommy, this actually IS heaven."  I just might have to agree.