A touch of spring

Mid-March, and spring feels not too far off.  The weather is tending to be rainy on the whole, with only the odd sunny and mild day from time to time, but the signs of spring are definitely here. 

This hyacinth was one of two little pots purchased last year to cheer things up indoors; after flowering, they were put outside while I dithered about where (and whether) to plant them in the garden.  Twelve months on they’re still there, and have overwintered in a disregarded spot behind the garden bench (which has spent the winter on the terrace); I noticed that this potful is again in flower and popped it on the garden table to be seen from the dining room.  It has a self-sown forget-me-not in its pot and needs a bit of tidying up, but it’s a welcome spot of colour. 

Also providing colour in the garden are the daffodils – those in the sun are now out – and the pulmonarias.  I really must move the latter, which are self-seeded and popping up at the back of the fruit area but deserve a better site.  And you have to look closely, but the violets at the bottom of the garden are also in bloom.

Self-seeded pulmonaria

In the veg plot, the mystery of the non-appearing broad beans seems solved.  It is indeed the squirrel’s doing.  The beans, sown quite deeply, are now starting to send up shoots; a neat row of little holes shows where the squirrel is digging them up and nipping the leaves off.  I’ve covered both beds with fleece in an attempt to protect the remainder, but I will have to sow another batch to compensate for the losses.  Meanwhile, I’ve made a start on spring growing by sowing some lettuce seed for germination indoors.

There has been a noticeable increase in the number of insects – mostly bumblebees but some hoverflies – flying from flower to flower (the winter honeysuckle and hellebores are favourites).  The birds have also started to collect nesting material in earnest; the female blackbird was gathering moss this morning, and two male blackbirds, one at the drive entrance and one down near the bottom hedgerow, or possibly in next door’s garden, have started singing quietly, by way of practising before the serious business of using their song to declare their territory.  The boundaries of the robin territories are still being defended; there was a four-robin scrap on the patio this morning.

One still outstanding March job in the garden is pruning the buddleja.  I thought of making a start on it this afternoon, but as I walked past I realised that there were two partridges sheltering behind the bush.  Usually they would sprint off at the first signs of human activity nearby, but these two just sat and looked suspiciously at me, and I let them be.