February Flower

 

"He has made everything beautiful it its time."
(Ecclesiastes 3:11)

  One of the earliest and most unusual flowers I grew at

  my old home was the beautiful Helleborus, which is also

 called the Lenten Rose.  It was always a delightful 

surprise to discover a patch of bright green leaves 

 and dusky mauve blooms sprouting up from the

  frozen brown earth in the front garden bed

at this time of the year.

Snow or no snow!

Helleborus In The Snow

Image courtesy/Dutch Garden Stories

O the pretty brave things thro' the coldest days

Imprisoned in walls of brown,

They never lost heart tho' the blast shrieked loud,

And the sleet and hail came down;

But patiently each wrought her wonderful dress,

Or fashioned her beautiful crown,

And now they are coming to lighten the world

Still shadowed by winter's frown.

And well may they cheerily laugh, "Ha! Ha!"

In laughter sweet and low,

The millions of flowers under the ground,

Yes, millions beginning to grow.

From the poem, "Flower Chorus"
Ralph Waldo Emerson
(1803-1882)
American poet