It's been almost a month since I popped my head out into the garden, so with the sun out again yesterday I thought it was about time I had another peek. There wasn't frost like the last time I was out there, but there was sun. I discovered my bulbs are continuing to grow, the mini cyclamen are in full flow, and the snowdrops I planted back in the summer are catching them up. I've almost got a flowering crocus and the daffodils are in bud, as are the camellias but I'm still waiting for bursts of colour.
The hellebore is flowering though and keeping those constantly flowering primulas company at the sunny end of our garden. The mint too has woken up and gone a bit bonkers, let's just say there'll be plenty of mojitos if it carries on.
The euphorbias are "flowering" too - I love their greenness and sheer determination to conquer my entire garden. Luckily for them, I like to have plants repeated through the garden so have been known to give them a hand and dig some up and move them further along. MOH on the other hand is less of a fan and affectionately refers to them as the Dalek Plants.
The hosta above has recovered from its frosting and its pink flowers peep out throughout the garden. These are another plant MOH and I disagree on, I think the problem is he never sees them flower...
The laurel tree at the far end of the garden is also starting to flower, and I'm sure the local bird population will have already spotted that and are no doubt keeping watch. While I was out in the garden taking these snaps a cheery blackbird provided the soundtrack, and I'm pretty sure there's a blackbird family in residence in the laurel tree too.
I liked how the light was catching the very spiky leaves of our yucca plant. It's a very forgiving plant to grow, it started much smaller and in a pot after being rescued by my dad from some waste ground behind my previous house. Since we've been here it's outgrown its pot twice and I've moved it a couple of times since I gave up on pots and planted it straight into the ground. It'll poke you in the eye or anywhere else though if you'll let it, but it's worth all that for when it flowers. Maybe we'll be lucky this year - it last flowered in 2013 and was magnificent.
My what-seems-like-everlasting wallflower is still going too - it's one plant that clambers where it wants to and seems happy to have found a new friend in my supposed-to-be-temporary log pile. And talking of log piles, I'll treat you to a shot of it...
It's something I really should sort out, along with the pile of tree pollarding detritus that's further down the garden and nowhere near as pretty. With a few sunny days I'll have it gone I'm sure, but I do wonder what I might find living in them both. The pear tree caught my eye too, I think its markings had been accentuated by the recent rain, but I thought it was pretty striking.
I've decided that I've got quite a few naughty bulbs, and if not naughty then definitely rebellious. I stopped counting just how many were growing on the wrong side of the border and in where there should be grass. At the moment that's their saving grace, but come grass cutting time I don't fancy their chances, so it'll be a race for me to dig them up and pop them back behind the mossy bricks before MOH and the lawnmower mow them down.
The sedum seed heads looked pretty good too, and at the base there's plenty of new growth too. This year I'll be ready with stakes for the sedums to stop them flopping around too much.
And finally, look my bulb lasagnes are growing! The pansies on the top have been less than spectacular so far, and pots still have their bubblewrap jackets on. But look, I will have tulips! How exciting is that?
So even after this short trip around my garden, my to do list is already growing and I can just start to feel that gardening bug coming back. So now I'm hoping for a few sunny days and a bit less rain so I can start to sort a few things out. And failing that I think it might be time to sort out my seed tin and start planning what to grow...