Snow and after

Like most of the country, last week we had snow. Lots of it, piling up on the windows, and blurring the lawn, flower beds and paths.











It was a bit unexpected as I thought we'd seen the end of winter and were moving into Spring, but it's not unknown at this time of year.

What worried me most was the state of the flowers hidden beneath the snow - while irises held their own against the weather, snowdrops and daffodils 'flopped' over with the cold (minus 6 for a couple of nights), and were then covered by a snow blanket which crushed them to the ground.

At weekend the snow started to melt - and these daffodils weren't looking well. I didn't think there was much hope of them reviving so I pulled a few for vases in the house, and they seemed  to pick up.

 And as the snow retreated, so did most of those outside. Their buds even seem to be opening, so in a few days there should be a 'normal' display of daffodils.

The snowdrops too bounced back, and, strangest of all, crocuses had been growing under the snow, and as it melted they emerged in flower!








I hope we're now finished with dramatic weather and can move gently into spring!

First Day of Spring

 I'm a bit late with this post as the first day of Spring was last weekend. The weather forecast had been for dull and cloudy but it was wrong (surprise!) and we had a day of proper Spring sunshine to show off the flowers.

Crocuses are opening wide with the recent sun.














Later flowering daffodils brightening up the garden.

 A garden centre trip this week resulted in the purchase of some 'to clear' polyanthus which seem to have settled nicely - although the white flowers in the wall basket have had me fooled  several times into thinking there's snow there!
















The flowering currants are on the verge of breaking into flower - and then the fence with be hidden.











A couple of plants aren't looking so good though - both the outdoor fuchsias and the montbretia continued to grow all winter, and then the frosts of the last few weeks have zapped the green shoots. They're looking pretty miserable for now but I'm hoping that they'll soon be growing again.

March winds.....

 March is definitely going for the 'coming in like a lion' route this year. After a cold but sunny end to February, the weather has changed to wet and windy. I put extra pegs on the laundry yesterday to stop it floating away, and last night must have been even windier as we woke to find the compost lid drifted off behind the fruit bushes, tubs of flowers over-turned, and the hazel clematis support and canes holding a climbing rose knocked over.




Luckily nothing seems damaged - though some dead wood from the climbing rose had broken off. Fortunately today is sunny and quiet, so after a few scratches and rose thorns digging into my fingers the garden is more or less back in order (I haven't scrambled after the compost bin lid yet though) and I can go back to enjoying the early Spring flower display.




There are still snowdrops flowering but they're beginning to be out-shone by the later flowering bulbs - daffodils, crocus, and a solitary hyacinth - and polyanthus.

 The forsythia, though, is still only in bud, so maybe there's more cold weather to come. I hope not, I'd rather like March to go out 'like a lamb' with sunshine and the first real heat.

 I've also spotted rhubarb pushing it's way up - though some warm day I should weed out the forget-me-not seedlings before they overwhelm it!

Groundhog Day - again

kitchen window daffs

February has started with washing-flapping, door-banging, rubbish-flying wind - and sunshine for the morning of Candlemas/Groundhog Day. Supposedly this is a bad sign for weather watchers, meaning there's six weeks of cold wintriness before Spring really appears.

early daffs battered by wind

good to have more to follow

It doesn't seem believable today though as Spring seems well advanced already -   snowdrops starting to take over the rockery, daffodils in flower (I'm sure this is the earliest I've seen that!), crocuses, polyanthus, even a single grape hyacinth encouraged by the oddly mild winter...

and sheltering in the greenhouse I found a really early anemone in flower. This normally stays in a pot outside but as it was already in bud I moved it inside a couple of weeks ago when we had a short spell of snow and frosts.

What a difference a week makes...

 Last Sunday we woke to snow - the first of this winter! But by the evening it had all melted away and the garden looked none the worse for it.

The daffodils were still standing...





the new leaves on the clematis still growing..




...even the new, totally unseasonal, shoots of montbretia looking ok



and these couple of feverfew flowers still somehow hanging on from summer

This week we've had some sharp, white-over frosts which have made the bergenias look rather ragged but these last couple of days Spring seems to have arrived with buds on snowdrops, crocuses, polyanthus and daffodils.

 It feels like any day now the garden could suddenly explode with colour - as if it were March rather than January!

While my back's been turned....

 I haven't been well for the past week so not out and about in the garden much. What I have spotted from inside though is that Spring is advancing happily enough without me. Snowdrops are starting to die back but it doesn't matter because purple crocus and bright yellow daffodils are bringing their colour to the garden.

March in flowers

 March has come in with sun, snow showers and blustery winds but it definitely feels like Spring is on the way. Although the garden is still dominated by snowdrops, lots of others are starting to show. Unusually there were daffodils out for St David's Day - only two, but they're bright and cheerful.

 There are polyanthuses showing every shade of pink, purple and red.

 Buds on the bergenia.

 and the first crocus showing colour.