Is this spring I see before me?

Spring does not burst into life, certainly not after the cold spell we have had this year, but there comes a time when one can feel that spring will come: when the first flowers appear. Snowdrops are evident in hidden corners and yesterday we saw the first wild daffodil near Greatwood.

As always, our garden is a bit behind others in the neighbourhood and the daffodils are little more than green stalks. However, the camelias are all in bud and one has had the bravery of opening up to greet the longer days and some bright sun. A quick inspection suggests that winter has not wreaked the havoc it did last year when we lost many different plants to the cold. Almost everything looks as if it may have made it through.

There will be more cold before we can finally wave goodbye to winter but it will be a minor irritant. Once the camelias are in flower it is downhill all the way. Damn! It also means we have to start weeding.