Monday 10 January 2022

Signs

Yes, there are signs of Spring; but you have to search for them.   Here at six hundred feet they are not shouting out 'Look everyone.   We are here!  '  Much more subtle than that. Like the true Yorkshireman - they play their cards close to their chest,

I happen to know a garden (my previous one) where, if you know where to look (just under the sitting room window where it is sheltered and where the winter sun can sneak in if there is any ) there will be a large patch of golden aconites out now - and how I miss searching for them and shouting out to the farmer to come and look when the first one appears.

And down along the beckside in the big pasture, any day now the first golden marsh marigolds will be out.   I miss them too.   But out of bounds now I search for the first signs of Spring from my new base.   Plenty of green shoots poking through the ground and I did report the other day that one of my tubs had a single purple viola out.   My Helleborus Niger - Christmas Rose - has plenty of pure white buds about to burst open.   And this morning, on my walk, I followed the sound of the gardening workmen and there they were - pruning.  Slashing back the laurel bushes  and all the bushes that over the Summer have encroached on the footpaths.

Were they going to spare the hazel catkins - out in all their glory, shining golden in the morning sunlight?   Here they are always first to ring the bells of spring as the dangle and shake in the breeze.   Yes - they have been spared and shine - lifting the spirits of all but the most unseeing individuals (yes there are some who never notice such things).   A few pure white Christmas roses (Helleborus niger) are just coming out and that's it.  Anything to add to my list?   I know Si has snowdrops out in Newark - and aconites - and John has seen a few things.   It would be nice to make a list of flowers already advertising Spring - have you anything to add?   If you don't blog but read my blog (and I know some who do) and have seen Spring lurking around then send me an e mail and I will add them to my list.

41 comments:

Debby said...

We will not be looking for signs of spring until the end of next month at the very earliest. My signs are always the birds: the red wing blackbirds, the robins, the grackles. They are the first signs, and you always see them stumping about in the snow looking for food and looking a bit grumpy.

After the birds, we will begin to see the earth properly waking up. My garden plants will be started in a sunny window. My spirits begin to raise with all the planning.

My favorite day is that first day, when I can feel a warmish south wind on my face. It's like a message sent on ahead by spring: "I'm on my way!" and you know for a fact that it is true.

Susan said...

In Massachusetts our ground is covered with a blanket of snow. Prior to the snow, I did notice my dark purple bearded iris had a tiny green shoot just above ground. It will survive the snow. Like you, I love observing changes in my garden, especially the rebirth of Spring.

Derek Faulkner said...

Here on Sheppey, I have three different coloured helleborus about to flower, plus heathers and rosemary are in flower and also a couple of roses still flowering from last year. No sign of my snowdrops or aconites yet though.
Rooks have also begun nest building.

The Feminine Energy said...

I spend a lot of time outside, even in winter, so I can recognize & "see" the signs of spring very early. But they are definitely not here, in Indiana, yet. It's still very much the middle of winter. I'm glad spring comes early where you are. ~Andrea xoxoxo

Anonymous said...

Here in the Cotswolds I still have a hollyhock, vinca major, knapweed, geraniums and lobelia blooming in my garden! No sign of any snowdrops yet.

JayCee said...

We are looking forward to discovering what is here in our new garden. There are already some shoots poking up and it will be good to see what develops.

Sue in Suffolk said...

Sadly no sign of snowdrops in my new garden. I may have to rectify that if I can find some for sale in the green from a garden centre

Melinda from Ontario said...

Sigh...we have two more months of cold and snow before we'll see the first signs of spring. Even so, I've found a way to get a bit of that "new growth" good feeling. I had a nice looking collection of geraniums, begonias and vines in my window boxes this summer and I didn't want to watch them die. So before the frost hit, my husband and I lugged the window boxes into the basement and set up a grow light over them. Now when I snap on their light in the morning, I'm reminded spring is coming.

Librarian said...

I suspect that true spring is at least two months away; we have not had much snow or frost yet, more rain than anything.
In many gardens here, hellebores are very beautiful this year, in full bloom and in large clusters. So far, I have not yet spotted any aconites, snowdrops or other, but yellow winter jasmin and the hazel catkins are out in full force.

Sarah Browne said...

Here in my Dorset garden there are Snowdrops and a Violet in bloom, lots of bulbs coming up, even some Tulips. I have also watched birds picking up twigs and bits of hay and the birdsong early morning is incredible. However, Everywhere is very wet with lots of mud and the rivers are high and fast flowing. I love everything about living in the countryside apart from the mud! Sarah Browne.

Chris said...

We have daff shoots showing here in S Wales, can't wait to see their nodding heads. No flowers at all when we moved here in June last year, but we have planted 180 daffs, some grape hyacinths, snow drops and a sprinkling of crocus in our front lawn, so in spring we should have some colour. Violas are in flower and of course Hellebore.. We have buds on the peach and damson trees which we brought with us, but oh how I wish we'd dug up the Camelia my daughter gave me.. we do have a flourishing rose that was a Mothers day present from her, Mike did cuttings and they all took. So I have that to look forward to.. hurry up spring!
And reading about your boulder up a hill I know exactly what you mean!

elf said...

Golden forsythia — all frozen now but they bloomed a week ago and hopefully will come back oatbtheir usual time. And my mom has yellow irises blooming.

Rachel Phillips said...

I agree with Librarian.

Ellen D. said...

Too early for Spring here. Lots of cold and ice today.

flis said...

Catkins are on my hazel too for the last couple of weeks-and I have several helebores which I buy now only when they are reduced in price because just a smallish one can cost £9 here-my first is a deep purple one in bud near my front door x

The Weaver of Grass said...

After a couple of days I will make a list of what is actually flwering in gardens and in the US. I didn't mean Spring was here - I just meant that we are lucky that many of our hardy flowers carry on regardless and make us realise - as some poet said - if winter comes ca spring be far behind.

Anonymous said...

Here in Seattle , the hellebore is in bloom, tulips just starting to show leaves, lilac has signs of leaf budding. The neighbor’s narcissus in her front yard were blooming until we got snow 10 days ago. The snowdrops will hopefully start waking up middle of February.

Brenda said...

Beautiful here
Still running air conditioner and glad I moved.
Love your blog

Jules said...

Those very early signs are there. But all in good time. X

Minigranny said...

My hellebores , Christmas Rose have been out for ages. Tulips poking through and still flowers on the Fuschia but much milder here.

Heather said...

So glad the catkins were saved - it would be criminal to cut them back now. I miss my hellebores and had tried unsuccessfully to get them to grow for me for years, when suddenly it worked and they multiplied like mad. We have snowdrops just beginning to open, and a mahonia which has been flowering for some weeks now. A neighbour's forsythia has yet to bloom but a winter prunus is looking very pretty. It might not be here just yet but Spring is on it's way no matter what the weather does.

vic said...

Oh, my goodness, it must be nice to actually see some spring things popping up rather than just dreaming about them. Cold, cold, here in southern Indiana 15 F this morning and only 30 F just now at 5:00 pm. No brave flowers peeking out in these temperature. We won't see any warmish stretches (and only off and on) until mid-March. February is the hardest month to get through but fortunately it is also the shortest. That helps a bit

The bike shed said...

We have signs of spring here too - unseasonally so due to the warmth I expect. Jane moans about the lack of sharp cold days but then moans again when they come.. oh well, the grass is always greener as they say.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Goodness Heather - you seem to have such a lot out down there - lucky you.

Red said...

No sign of spring here. Nice that you have something pleasant to see.

The Furry Gnome said...

We get the same flowers but not until May!

Cro Magnon said...

We've had Daffs in the churchyard for about two weeks.

Hilde said...

Our hamamelis is in bloom, and the forsythia is beginning to open.
Hilde in Germany

Kathy said...

Here in Chicago we have snow and ice and the wind chill was -8 earlier this evening, real temp is 1 degree. I am jealous!

Bonnie said...

It is wonderful that you have some early signs of Spring so soon! Here in northern Missouri we will not see such signs until April or if lucky the end of March. We often have snow up into March here but these days I'm not sure what to expect of the weather!

thelma said...

Like Debby I listen for the birds welcoming the warmer weather. The sharp cries of the blackbird and the chatter of the tiny ones. I saw a mahonia in bloom, early flowering for the bumble bees.

Poppy and Me said...

Here in Suffolk my Winter Jasmine is still flowering well and I have a vase of it in my lounge to brighten it up now the Christmas decorations have been put away. Valx

Frances said...

I saw a clump of snowdrops flowering a few day ago here in Hertfordshire. Apparently the bluebells are coming through in the woods, though not seen them myself as it is too muddy in there!

AK Coldweather said...

I'm still 4 months away from seeing any blossoms here. How lucky you are! I look forward to sitting on my deck with a cup of coffee and seeing birds flit to my feeders.

the veg artist said...

When/if it stops raining I will put on my boots and go for a walk around the garden and report back. Looking out of the window, I'm not sure when that will be!

Anonymous said...

41.3 degrees here today Weave, (106 degrees F) .Watering the garden both morning and night.- Pam, Aust.

Anonymous said...

Here in good old and very very very cold Canada. Spring is so far away for us. We have some snowdrops but they are coming from above and not below. We start seeing signs of spring sometime around late March early April.

Melinda from Ontario said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Brenda said...

I enjoy your blog so much. I don't do social media-saw too many dangers when I taught-but I do read them and respond sometimes. I love love yours. You are amazing.

Crafty Green Poet said...

I've seen a beautiful clump of aconites in a churchyard (while doing my cemetery wildlife survey) and the first snowdrops in a couple of cemeteries. I've yet to see hazel catkins up here yet but am on the lookout. I'll need to check my favourite hazel tree when I pass it on Thursday!

The Weaver of Grass said...

Nbut what a long list of colour in the British gardens - either still flowering from last year or just beginning again:

Not a lot out in the US

Aconites, snowdrops, winter jasmine, Mahonia, Daffodils, Hellebores, Prunus, Violets,Rosemary, even a few roses and Hammamellis mollis. We are lucky to be looking to Spring already - even birds twigging although that will stop with a cold snap.