It has been a beautiful spring-like day today, with sunshine and temperatures reaching double figures.
Walking around the garden was a real pleasure, and standing beneath the hazel tree I realized I could hear a gentle buzzzzzzz…
There were lots of bees up there, and look at that blue sky!
The hazel flowers are open too…
There are signs of life all over the garden, with snowdrops, a few Hepatica buds and a couple more Hellebores opening…
And a single Vinca flower in the shade…
Here’s the view for today.
I managed to start tidying up later in the day, removing winter debris and trimming the lavenders etc. There are some sedum and aquilegia shoots just visible, and some spring bulbs are slowly sprouting. 😀 It feels wonderful to be out gardening again, and so early in the year too!
Words and Herbs 
Glad to see these signs of spring. Glad you can get out and enjoy it Cathy. Your garden is looking quite tidy and ready to burst forth.
With the dry and sunny weather I can finally get out and start work… winter has definitely given us a miss this year!
Yes, it is so wonderful in these days with temperatures up to 20°C in the sun. And in the morning one can see a little frost from the clear night before.
Exactly the same here Uta. Let’s enjoy it while it lasts! 😀
🙂 – Yes!
Aaaah sunshine and spring, I nearly can remember what that felt like. Still all boggy round us, still the worst of the rain has eased. Lovely brightening photos!
The sun has some warmth in it already, but the nights are still frosty. Hope your weather is drier soon.
The Hazel is beautiful ans thinking about it I don’t think I’ve ever seen the flowers before, thank you they’re so pretty in pink
They are easily missed – absolutely tiny and they fade very quickly, but are worth looking out for! 😀
How beautiful! I keep thinking of you when I walk my boys to school at the moment. There are so many delightful spring flowers out and I keep thinking that I should take my camera out to capture some of the ‘awakening’.
Thank you for sharing these fabulous colours 🙂
That’s a lovely comment Chava – thank you! Things are only just getting going here, but the anticipation is growing daily. Hope you are getting some blue skies too!
What a glorious sight, those catkins against the deep blue sky. It is such a boost havign some sun, and seeing the fresh growth. Your slope is looking positively expectant.
I feel the ground is just waiting for a couple more days of warm sunshine and then everything will be growing like mad… hope so anyway! The sun has really improved my mood though!
Great to see that blue skies backdrop Cathy. It only lasted for brief spell but yesterday was the first time I felt some real warmth in the sun. I positively purred – no wonder bees buzzzzzzzz.
You know, that’s just what it sounded like today Anna – the bees were buzzing their contentment at finding all that lovely hazel pollen! I’ve never seen so many bees on the hazel before, as they usually go for the pussy willow catkins first… which aren’t quite open yet.
Yes, thank goodness the weather is improving. We had such a cold January the respite is much appreciated. I picked a handful of flowers this afternoon for tomorrow’s Wordless Wednesday, however, as we have a couple of below freezing nights ahead. Our last average frost date is April 15, but I hope we will be out of the woods before then. Love the hellebore and blue sky! Enjoy.
Thanks Marian. Today looks like another blue-sky day, frosty still this morning but the sun will soon warm us up! I hope to get a little more done in the garden. Our latest frost can be early May, but the ground usually warms up so much before then that it can only really damage blossom.
Vinca? That’s a type of helibore isn’t it? I’ve seen hundreds of helibores around here recently – I love their sturdy little petals, but haven’t come across any with such a beautiful colour as yours above. Lovely!
The Vinca is the little blue flower that grows wild under the trees. There’s a big patch of it later in the spring just up in the woods – a scramble through the undergrowth to find it, but a beautiful sight!
Oh! I read the label for the wrong picture! I see … My comment must have seemed totally random to you – sorry!
No worries! 😉
What a pleasure it must be to wake up to your garden daily! 😀
That’s a lovely comment – thank you! Yes, I do appreciate it, even in the grey days of winter, but sunshine makes it even better. 😀
It’s nice to see signs of spring and the bees buzzing around! 🙂 ! I drove off the mountain today and saw a few daffodils today!
Daffodils are such cheerful flowers too! I always notice a difference if I drive to the next city… it’s slightly warmer there and nature is usually a week or even two ahead of us. But we have lots of wild flowers that are lacking there… 😀
Things really are looking like spring where you are! Not so here. We just had a mild spell but for the next few days the high will be no more than 20 degrees F.
Still so cold? I think you deserve a medal for getting through this winter Jason – what a rough one it’s been. Hope it comes to an end soon and you can also see some signs of spring. Meanwhile, enjoy all those lovely birds of yours at the feeder. Many people around us have said the birds have stopped coming to feed so much – they aren’t really hungry in a mild winter!
Yes, its warm here too Cathy, your sky looks wonderful, such a strong blue.
Looking up to the north of us the sky is always bluer! I love seeing the silver birches against it. 😀
Wonderful to feel the sun on your face once more and to hear the buzzing of the bees at last. Each day seeems to bring more flowers out, a truly wonderful time of year.
It certainly is Pauline. I do hope you have sunshine and bees buzzing in your garden too! 😉
It’s lovely to see real sunshine! Monday was very sunny and warm but then the skies opened again.
Our forecast is not brilliant, but it was nice while it lasted!
It’s nice when it warms up and we’re able to potter around in the garden again. I did so two days ago barefoot in my sandals…back to the rain though, giddy April weather…can’t wait to see the end of it!
Barefoot? Wow, must be milder than here. I worked in a fleece and scarf today and didn’t get too warm, but then it’s still partly shady in the rockery. The sun felt good on my back though! 😀
Balm for the eyes – and the soul! 🙂
The first few plants of the year are so precious aren’t they! I found my favourite golden crocus under some leaves today… that one always makes me smile and think “spring is here”! Hope you’re getting milder weather now Marie. 😀
Cold, cold, cold here but I’m happy to see beautiful signs of spring, Cathy. It gives us hope that yes…spring will make its way here as well. 🙂
It WILL reach you Karen – I hope it will roll in with March for you! 😉 Stay warm!
Love the photos of what Spring looks like from my frozen forest 🙂 Have a great weekend!
Thanks Eunice. You too!
🙂
What a delightful blog! I have enjoyed exploring it. It is warming up in South Texas and I look forward to enjoying my herbs in pots.
Hi there! Glad you’re enjoying it. I can’t wait for herb-growing season and grow a lot in pots too. 😀
Blue skies, bees and buzzing, I guess there’s no denying that spring has arrived early! What a great feeling 🙂
The birds are declaring spring has come too! 😀
Great to see spring in your garden! 🙂 We’re still in the grips of bitter cold, it’s really very horrible here right now.
Oh I’m so sorry you are still freezing Sheryl. We have heard about another big weather front bringing you snowstorms – and that horrible accident near Torontowas on our news too. Stay safe and warm, and I hope you get some respite soon. 😀
Are the trees with white bark a species of birch?
Yes, silver birch. I couldn’t tell you which species though, as they were planted here when the garden was first created in the 70s. I love them in all seasons but they do produce an awful lot of pollen…
Beautiful signs of life
I hope you see some green in your garden soon too Donna. 😉