G is for Golden Boy: A Manitoba Alphabet

G is for Golden Boy: A Manitoba Alphabet — page 9
As the snow melts in spring a small miracle happens in Manitoba Clusters of delicate looking purple flowers with yellow centers emerge from the cold ground popping up in cheerful patches on the prairie and in dry open wooded areas It's the prairie crocus a plant chosen in 1906 by the school children of Manitoba to be the province's floral emblem The crocus sometimes appears while there is still snow on the ground To keep warm it comes with its own fur coat and built in solar panels Tiny hairs cover the stem and leaves and five petals reflect sunlight towards the flower's centre Temperatures inside the flower can be as much as 10°C warmer than the outside air Each spring our puts on a colourful popping in place C is also for the Costume Museum of Canada Located in Winnipeg this one of a kind museum has over 35 000 costumes and artifacts on display dating from the