I am expecting a January thaw. I am nervous about a thaw, no matter how pleasant it may be in February. We had a mild winter last year, and 3 feet of snow by March. I’d much prefer to have my seasons in chronological sequence-first winter and then spring-than to be ping ponging between the two. It appears that we are experiencing a thaw, whether I like it or not. In January.

The temperature today reached 59degF. The average temperature for this time is 32degF (0degC). The ten-day weather forecast shows that every single one of these ten days is warmer than average.

The first snowdrops to sprout in 2018!

They are still covered in snow. No, I cannot tell you what is on the label because I always put the end with the writing in the ground to make it more legible. It’s still frozen. There hasn’t really been any thawing. We still have ten days to go.

This is what I see when I look at the right side of my desk.

A gardener in a cold climate prepares herself for the cold weather that will arrive in February. This picture shows an orchid that I’ve owned for several years, as well as a miniature orchid, which I received yesterday. Lily-of-the valley All bask in the south-east exposure. The only place that I would expect these plants to bloom in February is indoors.

When my mom moved out of her apartment, she gave me a clivia.

Before it blooms, the flower stalk should be longer. It’s possible I didn’t hold back the water for long enough or that my living room wasn’t cool enough. It doesn’t matter. The orange petals are just as beautiful when they’re at half-mast.

I am not fooling anyone. I’ll be happy if I see snowdrops or Eranthis in February. I’ll enjoy the mild days as they arrive, and if it comes back and bites me and my garden, well, we will deal with it when it happens.