Red Butte on the cusp of winter to spring

As I've gotten older I've realized there are a few things that get me really really excited. Beautiful golden light, creating magic for my children and the changing of the seasons.

Seriously, the changing of the seasons gets me super excited. I love thinking about how the air feels different, how the smells are different, how everything around me is changing. My favorite seasonal change is undoubtedly summer to autumn. However, I also LOVE love love winter to spring.

Winter to spring's change, while easy to understand why you'd love it, is actually I'd say some of the most dreary and "boring" change in the garden. Spring in it's height is amazing. Better than amazing.

But those first few days that feel like spring? They feel beyond beautiful, but in all honestly don't look that great.

Grass is still brown. Trees are bare. Dirt is just that, dirt with nothing growing. However Utah has had a fairly mild winter, and dare I say it? We are headed for an early spring?

Usually in the middle of February we are still in our winter gear. We are still shoveling and sledding and cursing the snow. But it's been mild for weeks, or maybe over a month.

Many days are gray and dreary. Rain and a lot of it, and snow melting faster that I can believe. But when it's not raining, we are out. Even if it's gray. We are looking for the spring in the very winter-like landscape.

At Red Butte Garden over the weekend there really wasn't much to see. Everything was brown. There were a few tiny little green buds, but nothing to rejoice over. But we wore our spring coats and looked carefully for any hints of spring.

This year the snowdrops are in bloom early. They are some of my favorites, always blooming the very first, and such a welcome sight after winter!

The cypress doesn't mean spring, but the bright lime green color is a welcome relief in a sea of brown.

Both kids wore their binoculars the entire time. Thank goodness they now each have a pair.

Late February and early March definitely qualify as the cusp between winter and spring. And although there isn't a lot to see, garden wise, the sunshine and mild temperature feels so so wonderful nobody seems to care.