Harbingers of Spring

Yes I know this is a nonsense, because the pictures show some overwintering buds, not an oddity at all.
But after all  the spring explosion is somewhere packed in them, and so they contain the promises.

Two herbaceous perennials, whose buds are overwintering near the soil surface:

Cortusa matthioli Alba

Dodecatheon sp.

An early flowering evergreen perennial with buds overwintering in the leaf rosette:

Draba lasiocarpa

And finally a shrublet:

Daphne sericea

And then the camera's accumulators went dead... Maybe I will continue this topic later if I can find another promising buds around.

The First Real Spring Day

We have every year the First Real Spring Day (though it may be followed by winter days again).
I think that from now on we will have every day some news in the "garden".

The Androsace is still sleeping wrapped up in hairy leaves. Besides can be seen the ugly brown foliage of a Potentilla nitida. It will never be as on its habitat in the Dolomites but I hope for green leaves soon. This plant was bought in a nursery and until now it has give us three flowers only once.

Androsace sarmentosa, Potentilla nitida

This last year's Aquilegia seedling (seeds came from the SRGC as Aquilegia scopulorum but I think it is not), gets dressed for the Spring Feast.

Aquilegia sp.

Draba imbricata

This is also a seedling from last year, I think:

Draba lasiocarpa

The Eranthis is already fading, the Hepaticas just in bloom:

Hepatica nobilis, Eranthis hyemalis

Its pollen is already ripe:

Also the first flower of the Saxifraga x elisabethae cv. has opened, 10 days later than last year:

Saxifraga x elisabethae cv.

Sedum sieboldii shoots with Tulipa dasystemon in the background:

The color of the houseleeks is most beautiful now, at the end of winter. In summer they become dull green.

Sedum calcareum 'Griggs's Surprise' (maybe)