What a difference a month makes! On February 5th, I was recording the aftermath of a sudden snowfall.
On March 6th, the same crocus were luxuriating in spring sunshine.
By mid-month, the black willow (Salix gracilistyla 'Melanostachys') was at its prettiest and a considerable contrast to its bedraggled black February buds.
The back garden is still a long way from its summer profusion, but the beginnings of growth are visible everywhere.
One of my most successful corners at this time of year has quite a few early flowers competing for attention. Under the pale yellow canopy of Corylopsis pauciflora, fading winter aconites and snowdrops have given way to several hellebores and the blue, daisy-like Anemone blanda.
A single golden Erythronium is in bloom behind clumps of double white primula 'Dawn Ansell', which is just showing buds. In another couple of days, they and the delicate wands of Tulipa turkestanica will fill in some gaps.
The little anemone is a spreader and will, I hope, eventually fill in more of the gaps.
Its drawback is that it disappears completely by summer, which means I need to find it a later-blooming companion able to live in harmony with it.
On the other side of the back garden, Narcissus 'Jack Snipe' has just leapt into flower.
This is such a good performer, expanding its flower production every year. Back here among the raspberry canes, its dying foliage will be rapidly obscured by the leafy growth of perennials in front of it.
Meanwhile, along the side of the house, fresh leaves on Schizophragma hydrangeoides 'Moonlight' are brightening the very dark alley.
Perhaps this will be the year that this climbing hydrangea relative will bloom for the first time. Even if it doesn't, the marbled foliage will provide some interest here, as will the cyclamen planted below. I've planted both spring-blooming Cyclamen coum and fall-blooming Cyclamen hederifolium to make the most of a narrow strip of earth in a very shady location.
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