Floral harbinger of spring

When I saw common snowdrops, Galanthus, blooming in profusion, 
the landscape reminded me of the carpets of white in European woodlands I had seen in the photos.

I was captivated by these little white fairies with green markings inside.

Snowdrops also reminded me of a fairy tale,The Month-Brothers, by Samuil Marshak. 

A little girl is ordered to find snowdrops by her cruel stepmother.

The child knows that the spring flowers do not grow in the middle of the winter,

but in the frozen woods she comes upon twelve magical brothers who make the impossible task possible.

I’ve learned from my European blog friends, how snowdrops bring forth hope for spring.

They are among the first to raise their heads from the ground.

In my country, Japanese Narcissus start to flower year-end and continue throughout the winter until spring. 

However, snowdrops to Europeans' heart would be like ume, Prunus mume, or Japanese apricot, to the Japanese heart.

Ume is one of the earliest fragrant bloomers to harbinger spring.  

When you find only one or two ume blossoms in the biting cold, your heart is warmed up.

Buds on the verge of flowering

It feels like weather becomes warmer with each new bloom.

The modest, lovely flowers inspire power of life by surviving through the piercing cold  
and emanating pure fragrance in the midst of winter.

When you see ume blossoms in full bloom at last after a couple of weeks later,
you can't hold back your excitement spring is on its way.

In my garden,  white-eyes have been coming since the time much too early for the ume blossoms
of which nectar they are fond of.
Ume in my garden is blooming soon.