Dress rehearsal for spring

It was as excited as a child on Christmas eve; spring was coming, how could it stay in the bed?!  Yes, it was still dark but in the first few days of January, up it shot to bring beauty to the tiny patch of border.  It's the same every year; the first of a small clump of daffodils showing up in the dead of winter, without fail.  There is hope... just wait... brighter days are coming.

An icy wind from the sea was a deterrent - I couldn't match the daffodil's enthusiasm by nipping into a warm house for a proper camera - so this was snapped quickly by phone - on the 6th of January.

Today, other spring bulbs have caught up.  Snowdrops and crocuses don't do well here for some reason, but the dwarf irises peep up for a few inches in a raised stone trough near the later-to-appear daffs.  Tiny bursts of blueness that make me happy!

mellow days

  

It's balmy down near the beach today and the garden is lovely. Dad's been busy cutting the grass and sorting out some of the borders while I do a little bit now and again. I'm experimenting with bagged spuds this year - Maris Piper variety - and the first bag is doing well. Hopefully I've staggered the planting enough to get a longer harvest!

I hadn't noticed that the apples had swollen so much  - looks like we'll have a good crop of Bramleys this year.  The late spring means all the pollinators and blossom arrived together and with the recent heat and rainfall, it's the perfect combination!

 

What is it about a shed. I wish the smell could be blogged!  The spades, fork and rake are years old - some even belonged to my grandfather - but they still do the job! 

Next job is to sort out the herbs - a few chives with the lovely purple heads and some parsley and lemon balm but everything else needs replaced.  Really miss the rosemary and thyme especially.