Snow drops are the flower for the Feast of the Presentation, so here are some photos. They were snapped on the feast day, February 2nd, and that is why they appear a little later - it took me a few days to get them loaded up.
They are growing up in a garden in England and, true to their designation, they were in full bloom on the feast day, leading the way for the other later blooming early spring bulbs, the crocuses and the daffodils.
I had initially thought of adding some smug comment such as ‘these are the only snow drops we see in England’ to antagonize American readers from New England and the Midwest who are currently under feet of show. Then I heard that the forecast was for snow in northern England too and we had a good covering the next day. It was only an inch or two, but that’s enough to cause mayhem in England. Serves me right!
The house I am staying in has a modestly sized front garden, typical of English gardens. It just shows how you don’t need much to plant something beautiful to tie us into the sacred time as well as the ordinary passing seasons.
Below the pictures of the bulbs I add a beautiful painting of the feast by Fra Angelico, and a painting of Mary at the Fountain by Jan Van Eyck, depicting Her as the Garden Enclosed - hortus conclusus - with what I am hoping are snow drops on the lawn in front of her. I can’t get a detailed enough picture so perhaps someone out there can confirm?
