Status quo ante

Hellebore - self-seeded into the path

Back after 3 weeks away, and I was rather expecting to see more colour in the garden - but no, it all looks very similar to how it was when we left.  Although some of the daffodils had looked to be on the point of flowering when we went, only one of the big daffs (in the lawn by the septic tank) is half-opened.  There are some Tete-a-tetes in full bloom in various pots (including a pot in the cold frame which I thought contained crocus bulbs! - I really must get better at labelling bulbs that have been lifted), and some crocuses too.  Otherwise there are the snowdrops (the later ones; the earlies are going over) and wallflowers, the hellebores, the 'Whitewell Purple' crocuses at the bottom of the garden, and a few doronicums and epimediums.  One of the osmanthuses is starting to flower too.  The lawn does look greener than when we went away, although maybe that's just because, in Norway, any grass not covered in snow at this time of year is bleached grey-brown and anything looks green in comparison.

At least nothing much seems to have suffered in our absence.  The weather has been relatively benign for this time of year; some frost, a fair amount of rain and wind, but nothing extreme.  Some of the broad bean plants are looking the worse for the wear and one or two may be past saving, but otherwise the only damage in the veg patch is where Something has dug into the bean trench in the hope of finding food, but that's easily remedied.

On closer inspection, there are signs that the seasons are moving forward.  The transplanted gooseberry bushes are putting out nice green shoots and the blackcurrant bush that was moved is also budding nicely.  Rose bushes are starting to leaf and the first annual weed seedlings are showing - always a sign that spring is springing.  The weather at the moment is an early-March mix of chill, light night frosts, occasional snow showers and surprisingly warm sunshine.  The birds seem more sprightly too; a thrush that we heard singing a couple of times before we left is still around in the distance, and the blackbirds are getting territorial.