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!

Bizarre December

After a couple of sharp frosts last month, the weather has turned strangely mild - some days have been sunny with temperatures up to 16 degrees but mostly it's rather wet. The trees are bare but the grass keeps growing and the garden doesn't really seem to know what season it is.

The cotoneaster is still holding its autumnal gold leaves but elsewhere seems nearer to Spring ...








the winter jasmine feels like its almost finished flowering

I don't have daffodils or snowdrops in flower, as I've seen reported from elsewhere but the bergenias and polyanthus are definitely out

and this alpine strawberry seems to think it's summer - I doubt the fruit will ripen though, there's not enough sunshine!

Easter

 Easter weather turned out rather gorgeous - two days of feeling like summer had arrived!

The front flower beds are filled with daffodils, while forsythia and bergenia are making a bright splash in the back garden

There are buds on the apple tree and blossom on the peach next to the kitchen wall

 Polyanthus still flowering, in all shades

 grape hyacinths/muscaria

 flowers on the self-set flowering currant

huge patch of bergenia

hyacinths

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.

Spring Equinox

 Yesterday was the Spring equinox, so now we've officially left Winter behind. In typical weather fashion, the day started dull, cloudy and windy, and turned wet so I mostly admired the garden from inside and took photos today now the sun's returned














 Spring has sprung this last week with lots of later flowers appearing

hyacinths that started life a long while ago as indoor potted plants





forget-me-nots

 the first dog violet




grape hyacinths in a wall basket

 and even blossom on the peach tree














The polyanthus are flowering away still, trying to take over the front garden with an older variety

 and newer sorts, mainly garden centre 'rescues', in all colours in the back garden

There are daffodils in flower everywhere

 hanging over the paths

by the rhubarb patch

and in among the raspberry canes

 forsythia is brightening up the back garden and kerria japonica the front with yellow flowers

and there are patches of red from lettuce seedlings, 

newly 'rescued' bellis double daisies

 a bird-set flowering currant











 and a very unseasonal kaffir lily

and the rockery is smothered in a riot of colour.