The early spring flowers are my faves for precisely this reason. When I see a crocus - or a hyacinth, with its lovely fragrance - peeking out from a little blanket of leftover snow, I could just weep with joy.

They're native to the Caucasus Mountains, so our weather is a snap for them.

Mine have naturalized in my lawn, which makes me very happy.

More than brave. It's metal.

I don't think our enjoyment or sense of wonder are at all endangered by the likelihood that natural antifreeze proteins are involved.

The violets in the mountains have broken the rocks. ~Tennessee Williams

Flowers are without hope. Because hope is tomorrow and flowers have no tomorrow. ~Antonio Porchia, Voces, 1943, translated from Spanish by W.S. Merwin

A 2 week old picture of a flower.

Now that's what I call hard hitting investigative journalism!

my hellebores came out in early January. and the sarcacocca are nearly done blooming. hard core.

Witch hazel shrubs have been out for a while, too. They have a wonderful pungent/sweet fragrance, and delicate flowers.

i have been meaning to stop and smell some Hamamelis (witch hazel) that i keep seeing in my travels around the city...someday i'll be in a place of my own where i'll be able to get one and put it in the ground.
my sarcococca (hookeriana humilis - in a container, ruscifolia would be too big) still has a little bit of scent going on which is nice coming up the front steps, and my helleborus (i think mine is 'Heronswood Purple' just started cracking colour last weekend.
the bulbs are starting to poke through the mulch and the warm ground cannot get here quickly enough for me!

I've always felt a little bad for snowdrops, since their name implies that meh, of course they bloom in the snow. They should rebrand, because crocuses and narcissus do seem tougher.