The joy of plants.

Walking around the garden at home I have been thrilled to discover how much new plant growth is already emerging after the recent bad weather.  The Hamamelis is covered in bright lemon-yellow flowers that I can see through the patio doors whilst working on the computer.  Sarcococca confusa has its flowers already formed but not yet open.  I can't wait to smell its beautiful perfume.  Pittosporum 'Tom Thumb' is still looking glorious as usual - a great foil against all the green foliage.

We have a large Fatsia japonica that is near two of the bird feeders.  It has really come into its own as a home for lots of different bird varieties this year.  Our garden has been a bird magnet, I even managed to take some photos of bird footprints in the snow, and it has been a joy to sit and watch them all coming for food.

If you enjoy birds in your garden I can highly recommend planting some climbers or wall shrubs.  We have Clematis tangutica which is superb with its fluffy seedheads useful in the early spring as well for birds nesting. Lonicera 'Stuart Thomas' is loved by all the sparrows.  Unfortunately we had to prune ours this year and found two nests. New shoots are already growing. Ivy also works well as it is an evergreen and gives smaller birds somewhere to hide from the worst of the weather.

Snowdrops and Helleborus foetidus are showing buds and lots of othe herbaceous plants are showing signs of new growth. Primroses are also looking healthy with some already bursting into flower.  If only we could see more sun and blue skies as today is another one of those never ending grey days.