Spring is coming

Whilst it was pretty cold outside this morning .. 3C, I had a lovely cup of coffee for the first time this year in my summerhouse, which has a complete glass front, where it was 18C in the full sun.

As I looked around, inside the summerhouse, I saw that the Brugmansias were sprouting, Echium fastuosum already had good sized flower buds, and Fuchsia arborescens had tiny little buds. And many of the plants needed watering.

 

I have a small T-rex on the bathroom windowsill that I will plant out later this week

got it 2 weeks ago .... it had 1 leaf .... now there are 3 and the 4th is opening up

 

Lucky you! And I saw Woo's roses were waking from dormancy!
Here in Sofia, the thick snow has begun to thaw and the huge icicles from the roof are like beams of reflected light, and dripping.
For two days now, very early in the morning, before the sun is out, you could hear the blue tits sizzling, and, yes, this is the sign of spring coming!:yess: We have been feeding them with bread crumbs over the last two weeks and, recently, a hawk appeared and began to attack them, so we had to give shouts from the window to chase it away.

It's about 3C now and I pray that it doesn't get too warm all at once, or otherwise we will be flooded. However, the 5-day forecast is perfect in this respect, with lots of sunshine.
Hopefully, some patches of soil will become visible by the end of the week, but I can go for nothing like 'outdoor planting' for at least another month.

 

It's a beautiful sunny day here and I've been pootling about in the garden

Just about everything is showing signs of life - some are just buds but some have already got new growth. It's very exciting :D

The Elder which overhangs my garden is still looking miserable, when that starts showing me some leaves then I'll know that spring has well and truly sprung.

Even the indoor plants are having a bit of sunshine outdoors today

BBC Weather is telling me it's going to be up to 15C by Thursday!!!

 

*Dim*, where do you intend planting it?

Think I'd wait until the frosts are over, say late May.

The new leaves will be very tender.

 

I got to spend quite a bit of time on my own in the garden yesterday which was nice. Every thing is sodden still,we have had lots of rain of late but I'm used to that as spring here is always really wet. Two years ago the garden was under at least a foot of water ,terrible flooding in this area (Nashville) ground didn't dry out till late June then the heat kicked in and most of what I planted before the flood which didn't wash away just cooked in the ground,it was a bad year for tomatoes also, to much heat but that's how the gardening goes here. I'm really looking forward to a decent season for once. All the trees are in bud I'm pleased to see the 2 Jane magnolias I have wont be far off blooming , the irises are poking up through the soil,roses are leafing out and the daffs are up also wild sweet peas are showing up along the pasture fence . Planted a bunch of pansies in autumn, they are in full bloom but will die when the heat comes ,at least there is a bit of colour out there. The squirrel's and chipmunks dug up all my snowdrops, well I think that's who is to blame there is also some other small bulbs missing ,well I hope they had a good winter feed on them. The lily's which they call naked lady's are up,so flowers again this autumn from them which is nice as they always surprise me as I forget just where they were when the leaves die down,one morning you'll look out and there are these pretty tall pink flowers just standing there like some one just popped them in the ground over night.

 

Back in my garden again today, leaf raking. Seems the free rib eye steaks still is not enough.
Anyway, lots of snowdrops, some early daffs blooming, and lots of other green from more bulbs up to a good 3 inches. Some early anemonies(spel?) up and crocus also.
And it is only February. Certainly looking at March to give me a blizzard.
And I am sitting here. Got to go.

 

Just looked out ,hum no pottering in the garden today,big flakes of snow falling fast. cold enough to stick Ah well.

 

will be planted in a bed (south facing) .... against a brick wall ... will take my chances with this one .... as it was only a tenner

if heavy frost is forecast, I will cover it

my wife wants it out the house as the stalks have a fluffy dusty substance .... and I dont have a greenhouse

 

Yes late Feb really does have that early spring feeling Just been to our local nursery and got some primulas , ivy and daffs . I put them in a basket following Alan T's advice , and left the plants in their pots , it looks very good I have never been a winter/early spring gardener , for me Tulips start the gardening year , but maybe I can learn

 

We had a light frost this morning but it soon went and its been a lovely sunny day here, warm in the sun too.

Pruned some overgrown roses back for our elderly neighbour (not 'Hatchet' ), they were covered in new buds and growth.

Also noticed a few shrubs in the back have the odd bud beginning to 'break'.

One of my all time spring favourites Celandines are just coming through now too

Checked my echiums over in the shed and although they've lost a few of the lower leaves due to drying out a bit too much (oops :DOH, they still have nice healthy green tops , fingers crossed I can get them back to looking better..

 

I've just checked 2 different weather forecasts and they're both forecasting very mild weather by Thursday; one says 15 degrees and the other 17 degrees....:yess: :D

 

There is the old saying for March--if it comes in like a lamb will go out like a lion. If it comes in like a lion will go out like a lamb.
Hope February get harder really do not want the end of March to blizzard.

 

Well, today finally, the snow had thinned enough for me to go around and check some parts of the garden, which were otherwise beyond reach. :WINK1:
To my great satisfaction, I have successfully overwintered some plants, which might be just 'weeds' in your gardening frame of mind, but for me they present a rare first-time experience and I'm truly excited!
One is Hebe andersonii variegata.
The other two are an olive sapling and a Ceanothus thyrsiflorus shrub.

However, my greatest joy was to dig out a hole in this drift of snow...


...and find out that my Lewisia cotyledon has suffered no damages of frozen water at the root base:



And this lisianthus has survived with no protection at all,...


... which is very encouraging, as I would love to grow lots of this plant in the garden!