The Wonder of it all....

This afternoon, I put on my winter coat and ventured into the front garden. Although I rake the (overabundance) of leaves each fall, I purposely leave a layer over the garden. They seem to protect the plants there, giving a blanket of insulation through the harsh winter. I carefully pulled back some of the layer and was in total awe. Poking out from that hard ground encrusted with ice crystals were all sorts of tiny plant life. I was thrilled to see clusters of tiny crocuses boldly making their way under the leaves. Not only were they beautifully colored, but I could see bulging growth amongst the leaves, indicating that soon they will issue forth their lovely flowers. Yes, I am always amazed how the flowers come up from the frozen ground, year after year. I carefully placed the leaf matter nack over the tiny plants...