Tomato seedlings, sown in coir pellets in the heated propagator on Sunday were germinating by Friday

My pots of species tulips have a gravel mulch, that way I know which to leave undisturbed from year to year.

When I moved here, there were no snowdrops in the garden,  now they are popping up everywhere.  I divide large clumps just after flowering to spread them even further.

Despite the regular return of miserable weather the plants are as bored as I am waiting for some consistently fine days so snowdrops are opening, daffodils are shooting upwards and pots of tulips are stirring.

The first crocus tomassinianus are in flower today but I will resist photographing them until there’s a more impressive display.  Hellebore buds are breaking through the leaf litter, camellias are on the point of bursting into flower and one way and another there’s more than a hint of spring in the air.

Despite the persistence of the cold weather, spring is definitely in the wings – today I noticed that the needle-like leaves of Crocus tomassinianus emerging from between the paving.

In the garden: I’ve been going round dealing with anything that might be vulnerable to the cold and snow.  The cold frame is closed tight with a layer of fleece over the plants, the outdoor lemon is now tucked up in a protective coat and, very importantly, the  mains feed to the outdoor tap  has been turned off and the tap fully opened to prevent a burst pipe scenario. On a more decorative note, the early  hellebore flowers I spotted a couple of weeks ago are showing colour.