I know, we’ve been so lucky with the weather lately, that spring has been coming on in leaps and bounds.
This means all the flowers have been bursting forth to catch up.
Here’s some yellow flowers I have been storing up in my picture gallery: the first one I always know as japonica, the second I don’t know because it saw it in a neighbouring garden, and the third is rape, which the fields will be covered in very soon.
We’ve got all these buds in our garden holding out for warmer weather before they decide it’s safe to open.
The yellow azelea which smells of coffee and sweat has swollen flower buds ready to burst.
The camellia buds have been present since Christmas and have been in a dormant state ever since.
The stellata magnolia’s furry buds are poised to break into flower, with their pure white fronds only just under the surface.
Just when will I be able to greet these flowers properly?
Finally I managed to get a photo of our goldfinch couple!
I caught them unawares as they breakfasted on our brick wall, daintily picking away at the cement where the snow hadn’t settled.
And yes, it’s snowing again! What is amazing is that this time last year we were basking in 21 degrees centigrade (that’s 70 degrees farenheit) toasting our lily-white skin ready for the barbeque summer (which we didn’t have, of course).
And at the end of next week we go into British Summer Time (or Daylight Saving Time) when the evenings get lighter and we look forward to a bit of warmth – whatever that is.
In gloomy, cold, winter days (even though it’s March) it’s nice to turn a corner and be greeted by a window box of happy, yellow flowers.
These little ‘tête à tête’ daffodils still manage to put on a good show, in spite of looking very soggy.
Gardeners are doing their best to bring on Spring, in spite of the weather preventing the natural course of events.
All the alder trees in Reading are in full bloom at the moment. There are lots about because of the River Thames, and some grow on the roadside quite a way from the water.
This means there’s lots of yellow catkins waving about, with some staining the pavement when they fall to the ground and get crushed.
Some of my friends are suffering from hayfever at the moment because of the pollen, a strange phenomenon when the weather is freezing cold and snowing and not at all spring-like.
At the beginning of the week we experienced a phenomenon we had almost forgotten what it was like.
The sun came out – for a total of two and a half days.
And with it plant-life sighed in relief and started to progress towards spring, like this dandelion, who without the sun wouldn’t bother opening up.
But now we’ve descended back into grey and rain, with even more snow up in the north. It looks like those halcyon days were merely a taster, just to boost our spirits a little, but in case we were starting to get spoiled, it’s been taken away again.
Oh well, the wait continues.
Winter retains its grasp on the world, yet this poor daffodil still managed to produce a flower in spite of it.
Yesterday we had to cut short our walk because it was so cold, and the wind so bitter. It was the kind that gets into your bones and stops you enjoying anything outside.
I suppose we are soft compared to countries that are always cold, but since the end of February is drawing near, we were hoping for something a bit more spring-like to match the brave attempt the daffodils are displaying.
A little bit of snow and Britain grinds to a halt. The trouble is, we’re just not used to it. For the children it’s exciting, a chance to get out of school, get out the sledges and have fun! But for anyone older it is a nightmare, getting about is treacherous, streets become impassable and accidents abound.
Even so, snow still continues to be beautiful, especially if it it is coming down thick and fast. It has been snowing for over an hour and already it looks impressive collecting on leaves and branches.
We may be wrapped up safe and secure in our heated houses with food in the fridge, but it’s worth sparing a thought for the wildlife. These blackbirds tuck into the food I put out for them earlier, seeds and a fat-ball, while they struggle with the cold and the snow flakes which seem much bigger to them than us.
Update:
Just after lunchtime and the snow is not letting up and collecting nicely onto objects in our garden.
Watching nature while walking 