Surprise! It's gray and rainy. Shocking, I know. Still, even with a deluge of rain and an almost-freezing 37 degrees, I braved the elements and headed to the garden.

Briefly.

After all, we haven't celebrated Floral Friday yet in 2015, and I thought I spotted a bit of color in the hellebores' bed.

Hellebores!

I'd planned to snip some hellebores last Friday, but our recent extreme cold spell in SC took a toll on the few blooms that had dared to show their heads. Last week's bloom were edged with brown frost damage, instead of pretty purple freckles.

This week, though, we enjoyed lovely spring-like temperatures. I was hopeful for more non-frost-damaged blooms.

And through the rain drops, I found them: wet, droopy, but still--

blooms!!!

I admit, I snipped quickly, rushing to add a few clippings of pieris japonica and a couple heuchera leaves to the bundle before I raced back into the warm, dry house.

OK. So this wasn't my typical, leisurely, pleasurable foraging for flowers. In fact, I'm still frozen and wet--but it was worth it.

Hellebores give me hope. They're the first blooms in the winter, adding color when the garden (and I) need it most. I've already found our first snowdrop, plus a few inches of daffodils and several centimeters of tulips peek through the soil.

Spring IS coming.

Not soon enough, but spring's coming.

The photos aren't great--sorry. The lighting is off, due to the lack of light outside and the poor light inside, but the little bouquet adds a bit of brightness in the kitchen.

It also brightens my attitude. A lot.

Now, if only I could get warm...

Is anything blooming in your garden? Or do you have anything blooming inside? (My amaryllis are really lovely this year!) If you do, please share a photo on the Garden Delights Facebook page. We all need some Floral Friday cheer!

Happy weekend!

XOXO ~

Julie