Colour February

The second month of the year is a typical transitional period, when nature is still in its winter dormant state, but there are already signs of easing and the approach of spring. This year, the warm air that burst in during the sixth week has kicked things into high gear, and as I watch the snowdrops and eranthis are already starting to open up in the garden. The flower buds of one of my favourite ornamental shrubs from the Far East, the japonica, also started to colour and swell at once. Colourful primrose hybrids have appeared on the market. The yellow ones have a very pleasant smell, which absolutely evokes spring already in February. Spring flowering bulbs, such as hyacinths, are increasingly available. The flower shops will be full by Valentine's Day. Many people don't like the day of lovers or the day of small favours, as I call it, but it exists in Hungarian folklore. Saint Bálint is also known as a saint in our country. It is a popular folklore that sparrows choose a mate on this day and that the sparrow is the favourite bird of Aphoridite, the goddess of love. Kindness and attention are among our basic needs. You really don't need to do much, just a smile, a chocolate, a thank you for something, a handshake, a hug, to make the other person feel that you would be less without them. Now imagine if colours disappeared from the world! We would go mad. It's the same when we forget to feel love for each other.