And the days are getting longer.
Am I the only one who follows the sunrise and sunset times at this time of year, and gloats as the days gradually lengthen? I get excited by each little milestone I pass. Sunset at 4-30 feels like an achievement. Being able to dry the washing outside is a triumph.
Each day I walk around my little garden (15 feet by 30 feet but crammed full and one of my special places) looking for signs of spring. Leaf buds, bulbs sprouting, the fountain giving a tentative burble at the height of the day. Every single one makes my heart sing.
There are those who say I go a bit mad with bulbs. All I can say was that it wasn’t my fault that I ended up planting 700 of them the year before last. The original order got lost in the posts so they replaced them (thanks to J Parkers by the way.) Then the others turned up a month late and they told me to keep them. They’re little botanical daffodils and crocuses that stand up to the winds that we’ve had such a lot of this year.
Some plants haven’t coped well with the combination of wet, windy and that bitterly cold snap we had before Christmas. That’s okay. I always buy small and cheap and grow them on, so I’ve had the fun of them. I’ve got lovely pictures and memories and now I’ve got the chance to try something new.
So the white alpine strawberries that didn’t fruit will be replaced by prostrate rosemary which’ll tumble over the edge of the wall hangers and a lovely green and silver variegated thyme. Again, they’re tiny now, but I will have the fun of watching them grow and they’ll be above the chairs in the sunny part of the garden so that the smell wafts to surround me along with the lavender, lemon verbena and eucalyptus.
Soon, I shall sit out there and work or think or sew or dream. Soon the trees and bsuhes will come into blossom and be followed by gorgeous fruit. Soon the whole world will come to life in my favourite season of the year. Are you looking forward to it too?
