Desperately Seeking Spring

It was a miserable February, but at least it was short! A few days ago I ventured out into our garden looking for signs of Spring. There were a few. The hellebores are lovely at the moment, but it is really hard to look into their faces as they resolutely look down into the earth. Why, I wonder? Mike has suggested that they must be trying to attract some early insects and they are providing a protective cover, like an umbrella!

Our earliest clump of daffodils is trying to open:

The patch of grass outside our house is colourful with crocuses:

And there are just a few snowdrops still in bloom in shady parts of the garden:

I was keen to get some of these early spring flowers into our house. I have completely failed with hellebores in vases - drooping heads and a very short vase life. The answer is to float them in small containers (like the cup and saucer above) or this sundae dish. Exquisite!

I popped the snowdrops into a pretty glass with a few tete-a-tete - they made me smile.

I was also pleased with these little primulas which I put in a tiny shot glass and they lasted for several days.

The garden is full of stirring things which aren`t yet ready to open. Especially buds. These tree peony buds are the most dramatic. Big and sticky.

I`ve been buying seeds over the last few weeks. Mike and I usually start our seeds off inside, even if the packets say you can sow them straight in the ground.This is because we find it really hard to distinguish between germinating flowers that we have chosen and germinating weeds. At least if we start them off we have a fighting chance of recognising them. But both my information sources - Sarah Raven and Louise Curley - recommend sowing quite a lot of hardy annuals straight in the ground. So this year, I`m trying an experiment. I am clearing loads of old shrubs and perennials out of our front border and then I am going to scatter Sarah Raven's Flower Meadow Mix over the whole area. I have chosen the 'Cottage Garden' mix and I am hoping for a brilliant, bright border all around the front of our house. I will keep you posted on progress........