Dear Winter, Enough already!

Is it just me that is getting tired of the cold, grey, dreary weather? No I thought not...

I know, I know it's February, it's what the weather does in February (at least we go the snow all over and done earlier this winter!) but I HATE being cooped up indoors and so does Riley. He is a little braver than I, donning wellies and raincoat to go out and jump in 'Big Muddy Puddles' but he rarely lasts more than 15 minutes before coming back in for a hot chocolate and a 'bitbit'! 

Sadly our back garden is a: tiny, b: on a slope and c: northwest facing. What this means is that it gets no sunshine for the best part of four months over winter so it becomes a soggy, slippery mess, with the far end becoming almost 'bog' like. The clay soil clumps together in a sticky mass so even if I felt like going out and doing something it would be very difficult.

Now we are nearing the end of February though, and there is light at the end of the proverbial tunnel. The grey and dreary days are occasionally punctuated with short periods of intense sunshine as the clouds part, hinting at the promise of spring soon to come...

Whilst some people count the 1st March as the first day of Spring, I prefer to go with the Spring Equinox which falls on the 20th March this year - I guess it's the pagan in me :) On this day the hours of daylight and night are the same and from here until the Summer Solstice (21st June) the light reigns supreme as the sun grows stronger.

Most importantly, as the days lengthen, my little piece of England begins to feel warmth for the first time in months, the sticky mud starts to dry out a bit and the first green shoots begin to tentatively show their faces.

Honeysuckle - always the first to wake from the winter slumber...

Cleared away the dead foliage to reveal new green leaves of my Lemon Balm

Spring bulbs breaking through the wet clay soil.

One little patch must get a little more sun than the rest as the mini daffodil buds are eagerly bending their heads towards the warmth and light...

...and some clearly just couldn't hold back any longer!

What a welcome burst of sunshine :)

Spring is very nearly properly here at last!