Signs of Spring

It may still be literally freezing outside but at least a warmish spell a week ago melted all of the snow.  The garden is looking pretty bedraggled now though.  You forget how much damage the snow and cold weather is donig to plants.  A large shrub beside the garage has had a branch snapped off from the shere weight of snow that it was trying to withstand.

Other plants which were not winter hardy anyway have finally given up the ghost.  The fuschia was still flowering in mid December.  Having taken a look yesterday, all of the leaves have died off and the ends of some stems also don't look too good.  We'll have to see what the warmer weather eventually brings.

On the plus side, there are buds and shoots appearing all over the garden.  Daffodils have well and truly broken the ground and the Japanese Maple has got small red buds on the ends of twigs.  Another shrub, whose name I can never remember, is also throwing up lots of shoots already.  It seems to have more and more shoots every year.

The winter flowering pansies I planted early December have survived relatively unscathed.  They still managed to flower under 25cm of snow which amazed me.  They add a small splash of colour to an otherwise fairly bleak looking garden.

Roll on spring!