I always think February is a hard month, shorter than the others and generally fairly grey and murky. As I write this the garden is under a pall of mist and it has felt a misty murky sort of month.
If you want to know where the Quince Brothers are in this picture they are fairly close to the smaller blue chair - regular readers may recognise it as Trev's chair. The garden is totally saturated but at least I can stand in front of the quince trees and inspect how they are looking in this cold grey month.
and this is all I need to see at the moment. This is the green glint of Spring emerging, that spark of hope that the quince trees are getting ready to leaf-up. As often said, these trees are one of the last to lose their leaves and one of the first to have their new growth. This is good in that it means they look dead (dormant) for less time yet in some ways it is also creates a risk. As they blossom early, still within the frost zone, they are prone to frost damage. Frost damage can limit their quincing abilities and of course I always desire more quinces than the year before. One day I will make quince jelly, one day there will be sufficient quinces to fill just one jar. I look forward to that day.
So I look at the glister of green at the tips of the branches and I smile. A smile this particular February feels a rare thing so I am embrace my favourite saying 'enjoy the little things' and smile again. The quince brothers are telling me that there is progress, that life will return and all will be well. I raise my head to the sky and breathe deeply. All will be well.
Stay safe all and be kind.
