It appears February has been and gone in a blink of the eye. Whilst it seemed fast, it has ended delightfully mild. Well, maybe deceptively mild. The days have become sunnier and warmer, but the nights are not so warm which is leading to misty mornings. We are not beyond the snow zone just yet so I am not getting carried away thinking that winter is over.
In the driveway the Cornus officinalis is flowering. Its a great shrub and sparks brightly this time of year.
I am still enjoying not having the lavender edging around the Knot Garden. A recent delivery driver remarked that I had tidied up - a clear recognition that it must have looked a mess.
and the quince hedge is smothered, yes smothered in flowers. This makes me very happy.
In the garden generally the daffodils are now making their appearance.
and I ponder the amount of Euphorbias that have crept into the garden in a big (in all senses of the word) way. The Euphorbia palustris was grown from seed and has established itself as a large but very much enjoyed shrub. There are a few now dotted around the garden; I am clearly a convert.
The hellebores are still flowering well whilst Gladys keeps watch over them.
In the borders there is a stirring of life. This Peony tenuissima is starting to emerge. Please take a moment to enjoy the expert labelling.....
The blue anemone blanda and white crocus are flowering well. I love how they follow the sun with their flowers.
The Dancing Lawn is at peak crocus. I love it when it jewels itself for spring.
The Prunus Ben-chidoria is excelling itself at the moment. The scent is really strong and I do not think I have seen quite so many flowers on it previously. Last Autumn I pruned this tree so that it is now a single stemmed tree. It did have two stems with one going out at an odd angle. I allowed it to grow this way for some time but I decided to make it a bit more tree rather than shrub in form. It has responded well.
I am pleased to see that the Tetrapanex papyrifer Rex has hopefully got through the winter unscathed. I mulched it with crocosmia leaves and this seems to have worked well.
and the Wild Garden has lots of snowdrops.....
......lots. I shall soon be buying the usual 200 to add to the party.
His gingerness looks over the Wild Garden in approval.
The Cornus mas is covered in flowers and by the side of it the Illicium simonsii is budding up.
The Illicium is one of my all-time favourite shrubs. Bought on a whim some years ago from Crug Farm and never regretted for a millisecond.
Talking of no regrets, the edgeworthia is starting to flower and the scent is worth every moment of angst it causes me wondering if it will it get through the winter.
The accordion playing gnome leans against the edgeworthia and oversees the spring flowers that nestle between the Four Sisters.
To the side of the Four Sisters is the fernery: dark green and lush; it has got through the winter well.
The Prunus Kojo no mai in the Courtyard is about to flower.
and the Rhododendron luteum is covered in buds.
I end as is traditional on the pond, that is still not quite full. This worries me, if we get into the warmer weather and it is still not full then it will not do well if we have another drought. It is not that I want a rainy summer, but I do need enough rain to keep the garden going.
Thanks as ever to Helen for hosting this meme.
