Signs of - could it be - Spring?

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It may only be January 4, but there were buds on the hellebores in my garden this afternoon.

Comments

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Actually I don't think the hellebores are behaving all that aberantly (is that a word - my spell check doesn't think so...). They are very early spring flowers, and you often see pics of them blooming above snow. It does seem a BIT early, though. This is the first year I've had them, so I've nothing to compare them with.