Waiting for daffodils

I'm still waiting for the first daffodils to open in the garden.  There might have been some open by now, but I cut those that were most advanced to put in a vase indoors, where they've provided some welcome colour.  For the moment, the garden is still in snowdrops-and-aconites mode, with a few crocus here and there; mostly 'Blue Pearl' in pots, though there's the odd big purple one (I think they're 'Remembrance') tucked into corners.  At the bottom of the garden the 'Whitewell Purple' crocuses planted last winter are trying hard, but they're too delicate to make any impact, and either the cold winds, or the birds (or quite possibly both) are taking their toll on the flowers.  The anemone blanda in the same bed are starting to bud; I'm hoping they've settled in well enough to make something of a show this year.

Clearing the bleached remains of last year's uncut grass behind the garage, I found that the pulmonaria that had settled in against the garage wall had seeded and the plants are flowering happily; so there's a little colour there.

Garden work last weekend included some rose pruning (must get that done this month), and a start on pruning the buddleia.  There are rather a lot of stems this year; I must remember to rub out some of the buds to keep it more manageable.  I also cleared a way through between the raspberry canes, pulling up some of the canes that had spread, and the gooseberries, and re-laid the 'path' (old newspapers etc, topped with flattened cardboard boxes and then with twiggy stuff that can be stamped down into a sort of mulch).  The first rows of broad beans have also gone in.

The weekend weather wasn't bad, but very mixed - Saturday was a bit of everything (chilly, dry spells, rain, hail, sleet ....), though Sunday was bright, often sunny and a good day to be out.  It's not as cold as last week, though still not warm, and no sign of it getting much better.

The birds are still busy - both robins and both song thrushes around, and a woodpecker was drumming in the distance the other morning.