Spring has sprung

primroses in springJust as I settled down to write this blog post, we had a sudden mini snowstorm. It was gone just as fast as it arrived and now the sun is breaking through the clouds and the birds are singing again. It’s definitely a March day in the UK.

Winter might be clinging on – the frosty chill in the mornings, the icy bite in the wind – but spring has definitely sprung here in Bedfordshire. For me, spring isn’t just another season, it’s a force of nature. The dull and dreary greys, browns and sleepy greens of late winter begin are giving way to small bright accents of colour – the purple of crocus, the delicate white of snowdrops, the warm pinks and blushes of cyclamen. Soon, the bold yellow trumpets of narcissi will litter the landscape. In spring you can almost feel that the Earth has shifted on its tilt, as the season brings with it all the promise and hope of the abundant, colourful, scent-filled seasons to come. It’s almost as if I’ve been in a deep sleep over winter and life is being breathed into me again.

Primroses and daffodils

The last few weeks have been a slog, but now that the evenings are getting lighter and brighter and the warmth of the sun is getting stronger, I’m beginning to wake up again and feel rejuvenated. I’ve felt so deprived of colour that at the first opportunity over the weekend, I went to my local plant nursery and got some primroses (cultivated and primula vulgaris, the common/wild “true” primrose) and daffodils for my back doorstep pots. They don’t exactly break the bank but they add an instant hit of spring colour and scent.

The winter pansies I’d put in last year had well and truly finished, so it was time to bring some spring cheer. The Smallest Smallholding is still looking rather drab and dreary (I’m chomping at the bit for some bulbs to come into flower), so at least when I look out of our stable door in the kitchen, there’s some bright colour and vitality.

Primroses and daffodils

I don’t usually go for cultivated varieties or bedding, but some of the primroses looked so pretty that I couldn’t resist. I also opted for some delicate but bold tete-a-tete daffodils and some paler counterparts, and once they and the primroses have finished they’ll go into the ground under the fruit trees for next year. The scent is amazing.

spring flowers

It’s a slow time of year in the veg plots, although later this month we’ll be kickstarting the growing season with lots of sowing. In the veg plots, the garlic – now safe from the naughty beaks of our crows – is growing well and the mulching that I did in preparation for a year of no dig is looking great.

Comments

  1. Lovely blog and photos too, I think all we gardeners get itchy feet at this time of year to get out and get on. We’ve has snow on and off for the last week, so no gardening here.

    • Thank you! Yes you’re absolutely right, it feels so long since we had any warmth or were able to grow anything. It’s just a waiting game to see whether spring is going to early, on time or late!

  2. So beautifully written 🙂 However in my town it’s still cloudy and rainy.. almost all the time. I can’t wait for a few days of sunshine and that moment when everything turns green and screams “Spring has come” ^_^

  3. Such a beautifully written post!!

    Lorna

  4. The spring is such a beautiful season, everything looks so fresh and ready for a new life. Photos look great, Lucy, the gardener inside me feels inspired 🙂

  5. Thank you Faith! I love the fresh green of new leaves on trees and shrubs, they really are revitalising!