The blackbirds have gone to bed well fed today! There is a female blackbird who has taken to following me around very closely so she can benefit from my weeding. Very bravely she comes right in my my feet to see what there is in the soil I have disturbed. A male with a white wing feather stands a bit further off, while the robin perches on my wheelbarrow to keep an eye on things. It has been so very wet this winter and much of the garden is too sloppy for any work to be done. But the sun today was too good (and too rare!) to be missed.

The hellebores are starting to flower nicely although my very pale yellow one has been in flower since just after Christmas. There have been double primroses in flower for weeks too. I think the snowdrops are looking very good this year. The clumps of named varieties are really standing out and inside the gate the little groups of double snowdrops are looking very pretty under the horse chestnut trees. Last year I planted several more hamamelis and I am very pleased with them. ‘Gingerbread’ has been looking lovely in the courtyard where I pass it everytime I walk my dog. The well established ‘pallida’ is fantastic at the moment; its shade of yellow is vibrant and very welcome at this rather gloomy time of year. ‘Arnold Promise’ is yet to flower but is well-covered with buds – I can’t wait. I think I need to plant more hamamelis; they are well worth it. I need to see some colour in the garden when all too often the days are just grey. That is why I love to see daffodils. ‘Rijnveld’s Early Sensation’ starts to flower either just before Christmas Day or a day or two after. I plant a few more bulbs every year! The first of the dwarf narcissus in the raised bed beside the drive are just getting ready to flower. I have quite a few daffodils in pots so I can decide exactly where I want to plant them – its always difficult in the Autumn to know where there is space to plant bulbs! You can never have too many daffodils.