Spring is somewhere

Our spring in Vancouver has been cool and wet, but at least it's spring.  It seems the message hasn't gotten through to parts of the rest of Canada, though. My sister Betty, who lives outside Montreal, says she's still deep in winter on this Easter weekend, and she has had enough. My Alberta relatives are in the midst of a particularly frigid blast, with daytime temperatures hovering below zero, and night-time temperatures plunging to minus 20.

Vancouver pays big-time in housing costs for its earlier springs  -- so I'm not gloating -- but here are a few weekend photos that might bring hope to those still trudging through snowbanks on April 1:

Pink blossoms against a blue sky. How spring-like is that?

My little showing of primulas, hyacinths, daffodils and hellebores. I used to restrict my front-yard beds to blue and white, but I'm finding bright colours a cheerful addition. 

The hellebore flourishes in this spot, but I have others scattered around that have only put out a few blooms this year.

Cherry blossoms in a park near my place. In the distance, you can kind of see the mountains.

Through the hedges from my front steps you can see a red camellia bush that is having the best spring ever.

A close-up of a camellia blossom. 

The two magnolias over my front walk are just getting started. 

A closer look at the star magnolia.

Daffodils by the rock border in  my back garden.

A flowering current is doing well down the hill from me. 

Another view of the front-garden bed at my place.

The winter pansies have recovered from the heavy snow that flattened them for awhile in the winter, and are blooming happily.

Home-grown daffodils!