The wind is up and the sun is out. It’s still soggy-wet outside, but the light is optimistic and there are signs of pre-Spring growth if you look hard enough. There have been images of snowdrops full in bloom on Twitter for weeks and a peer among the sodden leaves of my cold clay, north facing bed reveals them piercing their way into growth there too. Not fully open, but with spears tipped with white. Hopeful.

In the greenhouse,  the first iris reticulata Pauline has made its sumptuous and showy appearance and has been rehoused on the kitchen table so we can enjoy its beautiful detail close up. Other Spring bulbs are also growing fast with crocus, muscari and narcissus all pushing up their green, fresh leaves. Maybe a market soon then.

There might even be some flowers to gather for small posies with the hellebores appearing at the edges of my garden and the straggly, but beautifully scented, winter honeysuckle flowering with all its energy. There are paperwhites too.

Last and most hopefully, some seed can be sown – sweetpeas, chillies and soon tomatoes. Just for a start – a  warm up for later.