Spring is on the way!

 They may not be as fantastic as the snowdrops we found last weekend at Dimminsdale Nature Reserve but at least I can see these in my garden any day.

 It's not just snowdrops brightening up the garden - polyanthus,which have tried to flower on and off all winter, are now getting properly intot heir stride.

 and crocus are starting to bloom

 the greenhouse is starting to fill up - with spring onions and brassicas which have over-wintered there

 sweet peas and tiny salad leaves

 and trays planted with broad beans and peas (the holly should deter mice)

 Out in the veg patch, the spinach is looking better for a few warm days




and I even found some lambs' lettuce growing weed-like among the strawberries.

These daffodils are what will really herald Spring in though - doesn't look like it will be all that long to wait...

Cheeriness for a dull day

 After a few days of sunshine, gloom has descended again. It feels much colder and a lot more dismal, but at least I have my cheap pot of tete a tete daffodils (from IKEA) to brighten the kitchen....

and snowdrops almost in flower outside

This week - 8th February 2015

Some warmer days this week - often frosty in the morning but lovely and sunny by lunch time.

 We managed to get down to the allotment for the first time in quite a while -  there's not a lot  going on there, mainly dug beds turning slowly to mud but in the poly greenhouse there are seedlings growing..... cabbages (left) and radishes

 This rhubarb plant has tried its best to grow all winter, so hopefully it will put a real spurt on now with some warmer weather






I even found some bits and pieces to pick - my winter salad stand-bys spinach and american land cress

 kale

 and some opened brussel sprouts.They haven't done well at all this year going from tiny buttons to wide open without making proper sized sprouts.

Groundhog Day

The weather on February 2nd, Groundhog Day or Candlemas, is supposed to give an indicator as to how long winter will last; if sunny, winter will return; if gloomy it will be over soon. Well, this year was gloomy but with enough sun to cast shadows at the critical time of 11am. Even without that it's easy to see that the current cold snap is set to continue for a while - last week we had heavy, but brief, snow on Thursday and since then clear cold frosty weather.
I have some snowdrops struggling to come out though - to say how early the buds were showing, the flowers are taking a long while to appear.

 Inside, I have tomatoes, cauliflowers and winter salad leaves set in propagators, and herbs on the windowsill - basil (left) and parsley.