英语博客：Crocuses: a first sign of Spring!

　　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 pointed¹ petals². They are a simple reminder³ 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 perennials⁴, and eventually found a Japanese maple⁵ 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 hoards⁶ 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 pollen⁷ is.
3. The trees leading up to the manor⁸ house, arch over the driveway.
4. We pulled out the old woodwork in the lounge and just plastered and painted the walls.

1 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

2 petals   

n.花瓣( petal的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• white petals tinged with blue 略带蓝色的白花瓣
• The petals of many flowers expand in the sunshine. 许多花瓣在阳光下开放。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

3 reminder   

n.提醒物，纪念品；暗示，提示

参考例句：

• I have had another reminder from the library.我又收到图书馆的催还单。
• It always took a final reminder to get her to pay her share of the rent.总是得发给她一份最后催缴通知，她才付应该交的房租。

4 perennials   

n.多年生植物( perennial的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Name six perennials and six annuals suitable for indoor flower arrangement. 列出多年生及一年生花朵各六种，它们必须是适合插花的。 来自互联网
• Herbage can be divided into three categories: annuals, biennials, and perennials. 草本植物可分成一年生、二年生和多年生。 来自互联网

5 maple   

n.槭树，枫树，槭木

参考例句：

• Maple sugar is made from the sap of maple trees.枫糖是由枫树的树液制成的。
• The maple leaves are tinge with autumn red.枫叶染上了秋天的红色。

6 hoards   

n.（钱财、食物或其他珍贵物品的）储藏，积存( hoard的名词复数 )v.积蓄并储藏（某物）( hoard的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• She hoards her money - she never spends it. 她积蓄钱，但从来不花钱。 来自辞典例句
• A squirrel hoards nuts for the winter. 松鼠为过冬贮藏坚果。 来自辞典例句

7 pollen   

n.[植]花粉

参考例句：

• Hummingbirds have discovered that nectar and pollen are very nutritious.蜂鸟发现花蜜和花粉是很有营养的。
• He developed an allergy to pollen.他对花粉过敏。

8 manor   

n.庄园，领地

参考例句：

• The builder of the manor house is a direct ancestor of the present owner.建造这幢庄园的人就是它现在主人的一个直系祖先。
• I am not lord of the manor,but its lady.我并非此地的领主，而是这儿的女主人。