After comments from Nancy F. on the last gardening article, who mentioned that snowdrops are the flower for the Feast of the Presentation, here are some snowdrops from the garden in England where I am at the moment. They are living up to their attribution: these photos were taken this past Monday, on February 2nd the day of the feast and they are at their peak. The other winter/early spring bulbs, in contrast are not yet there. As you you can see the crocuses are coming next but not yet in flower and the daffodils are just hard buds. My original intention was to post these photographs with a tongue-in-cheek caption aimed American readers in New England and the mid-West who are under feet of snow at the moment. I thought a comment such as, 'these are the only snow drops you will see in England' might be amusing...then we had some snow ourselves. It had just melted when I took these photos. Now, my wife tells me, the forecast is for more snow tomorrow. Serves me right I guess. And so much for global warming...if only it were so!

So here are the flowers in question. This is not a large garden. They are growing up out of a patch of lawn in the front that is perhaps 15ft square, but they add hugely to the enjoyment of going out in the  morning! The drawing of the icon for the Feast of the Presentation is mine and heads one of the chapters in the book, the  Little Oratory.