In halting steps, spring's progress across the province is marked by the unfurling of pretty petals. South West Nova can usually lay claim to the earliest blooms of all. This year the first crocus was spotted on Feb. 17. These were soon followed by swaths of pearly-white snowdrops. Now the daffys are nodding in the sun. And so the parade begins: forsythia and tulips, lilacs and poppies, peonies and iris.
On the Canadian Plant Hardiness Map, where the harshest zone is 0 and
the mildest is 8, the heart of the province is 5a. Zone 6b is a thin
sliver of gardening nirvana wrapped around the southernmost tip of the
province from Digby to Liverpool. 
That's where gardeners delight in pushing the envelope - planting bamboos, overwintering rosemary, rare cultivars of Japanese maple, crocosmia, monkey puzzle trees and more.
Rugosa roses grow wild along the shoreline here. Their blowsy heads transform into fat, cherry tomato replicas by autumn. You can nibble around the edges, but don't bite too deep. You'll end up with feathery seeds in your teeth. These Vitamin C packed rosehips were fed to British sailors to prevent scurvy.
Yarmouth had more than its fair share of wealthy ship owners and beautiful homes and gardens are their heritage. Rare trees and perennials are trophies that outlive their original planters.
This region has many outstanding gardeners. There's Ralph Burrill for instance. He grows more than 400 rhododendrons on his Brooklyn property and is also a daylily connoisseur. His gardens are usually one of many lined up for the summer tours arranged by the Yarmouth Garden Club. You don't have to be a member. Just show up at the right time and place with your camera in hand.
Right now the Hellebores are in bloom. They're also known as the Christmas Rose. See how far ahead we are of everyone else?
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