The hellebore or lenten rose wasn’t on my gardening radar until a decade or so ago, but since then I’ve grown to admire this stalwart early bloomer. It’s so stalwart that it can get caught in a spring snow shower, which is exactly what happened to it — and me — yesterday

I had run out to an early exercise class and morning full of errands, not paying much attention to the thickening rain as I jumped in the car. It had been 85 degrees the day before. Accumulating snow was not on my mind.

But accumulating snow is exactly what we received. Winter’s parting gift, I hope.

When I returned home, soaked and cold, I snapped this shot of the lenten rose, its creamy white blossoms nearly smothered by clumps of snow and ice.

The slushy precipitation had turned it into a completely different kind of plant. A snow flower: the epitome of March.