英语博客：Crocuses: a first sign of Spring!（在线收听）

　　The official first day of Spring came and went on 20th of the month. We've had a few very spring-like days, but usually the next day, it has returned to wintry weather. That's okay, though. There are signs that Spring is on its way. The birds are beginning to get noisy in the mornings. And, little patches of colors are appearing here and there; the Spring flowers are coming out. The ones that I have noticed in my garden are the crocuses. They are one of my favorites; they are purple with yellow-orange stamens, and only about eight or nine pointed petals. They are a simple reminder that Winter is long gone. I have been meaning to buy some bulbs and quickly pop them in the ground. The most popular ones around here are tulips and daffodils. Its a cheap way to fill in an empty or boring area of your garden with color that returns each year. I don't know if you remember when I changed the entry way to my house. I transplanted five big bushes last year, planted perennials, and eventually found a Japanese maple tree to shade the walkway that leads up to the front door. Well, that red barked tree has gone bananas. It is about a foot taller than when I planted it. It will very soon been arching over the walkway, which is exactly what I want it to do. I've noticed that as the weather has improved, people have been coming out of the woodwork. That means that, like insects, people have been coming out of their homes where they have been avoiding the cold, and now they are walking around and enjoying the change of weather. Woodwork is actually the various wood panelling that you have on the walls in a house. The shops are doing their part, getting ready for the hoards of shoppers who will want plants, seeds, and gardening equipment. I'll be doing my best to find bargains, and to focus, I think on growing vegetables. If I want flowers, I will go for either seeds or bulbs. That will force me to be patient, and have to wait for the final outcome.
　　Grammar notes.
　　Vocabulary: a patch, stamen, to arch, woodwork.
　　1. After painting the kitchen, I realised that I had patches of paint on my jeans.
　　2. The stamen is the center of the flower where the pollen is.
　　3. The trees leading up to the manor house, arch over the driveway.
　　4. We pulled out the old woodwork in the lounge and just plastered and painted the walls.