Emerging

A good word for today I think to describe both my mood and what's going on in my garden. Thanks to all your wonderful, lovely, cheery and oh so welcome comments, I'm perking up again and facing up to the big change coming and trying not to panic too much. I can't describe how much I appreciate your kindnesses. Thank you ever so much, truly.

Up close you can really see now that the garden is waking up again. I'm a bit scatterbrained about bulbs and either shove lots of the same colour in when meaning to have a mix (as above!) or totally forget (as in the four allium bulbs in my kitchen cupboard.) Evey year I aim to be more methodical but hey ho.

I love Tete-a-tete, so strong but weeny. The forget-me-not seedlings are romping away too. They're very invasive but that sea of spring blue is the next best thing to bluebells if you ask me and much easier to achieve.

My dad chucks a few sacks of his amazing compost my way every year and with it come forget-me-nots and lots of foxgloves. Flowers for free and I don't find them a bother at all, you just have to rip them out when they start to go over and then they're gone for the year. As under planting for wall flowers and late tulips I think forget-me-nots are just the thing.

Inside too there is a burst of Spring. In my doldrums at the weekend Woody and his mum brought home some beautiful tulips and a couple of pots of hyacinths to cheer me up and they really have done the trick. Aren't these blowsy beauties?

In the kitchen there is more pink as these hyacinths emerge, just along the window sill from some more sculptural tulips.

I can't help but smile when I see them and my heart has leapt right out of my boots. And making me the happiest of all is this little self sown pulmonaria, emerging from the drystone wall by the garden steps. I think its called Soldiers & Sailors for its red and blue petals and in a few more days will look glorious.

Spring proper is almost here.