The first Snowdrops of the year are blooming on Central Park's Cedar Hill.
Photo: Manhattan Bird Alert
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waiting, waiting, waiting for life's beauty 
(Galanthus elwesii, so I see them... 
) along with crocuses, mini daffodils, and hyacinths, also planted this past fall.
Didn't get the snowdrops in until November because they were late arriving (had ordered over the summer and found out later the bulbs were coming from overseas and wouldn't ship until November). Am not expecting them to pop up this early, even with the thaw here in Philly, but I guess I should keep an eye out for those spring bulbs and my new dicentra, that is normally an early bloomer.
The thaw is supposed to be over next week though! I don't want anything suddenly waking up this early because we still have to get through the rest of this month and February.
Have the common variety snowdrops that probably came from Agway decades ago, their green shoots are visible this week. As far as I remember, the blossoms show up by early feb.
My largest patch of common snowdrops is also on the south-west side under azaleas, and have been an inspiration
Snowdrops
Mid-November–mid-December and mid-January–March
While most plants go dormant in winter, the snowdrop wakes to offer up its diminutive yet delightful flowers to an appreciative public, which includes the solitary bees and flies who may find themselves out-and-about on a chilly day. Botanically diverse, these highly treasured plants can be found blooming throughout the garden from late-fall to early-spring and can be admired individually or en-masse. The peak of the display arrives in February as they carpet the understory in drifts of white and green in the Maureen K. Chilton Azalea Garden.
https://www.nybg.org/garden/snowdrops/
and are very welcome!! Talk about a plant determined to get its head up through all that to get some sunlight.
They seem to like being planted along the edge of the understory of something but I planted mine in a little raised bed, in a patch in front of but just under the widest part of an urn that I have, that is sitting against the SW-facing front part of my house. I know they prefer shade but the sun is usually still low at that time of the year, so they don't get blasted. I wanted something to "see" in late winter/early spring, when I walked out my front door. 