THE WEATHER -

A relatively mild start to the month, with lots of sunshine, not much rain, and mild frost on many nights. However, it was all change by the 20th, when the wind turned easterly, making it feel very cold indeed. The first snow of the winter fell on the 21st, but this was only a shower and was soon gone. Snow showers continued throughout the week, with the strong easterly wind still in evidence. Remaining very cold right up to the end of the month.

Maximum temperature 9°C (48°F), minimum temperature minus 4°C (23°F).

I was pleased to see that my pink Hepatica nobilis has flowered for the first time. I bought this last year, but it didn't flower, so I wasn't sure what the flowers would be like, or even if they were actually pink! So many plants seem to be wrongly labeled, or the labels have been put into the wrong pot, that I'm never sure if I've got the right plant until it flowers.......

A pretty litle bulb which flowers at this time of the year is Leucojum vernum, the Spring Snowflake. It is quite low growing, and has green strap-shaped leaves. The small white bell-shaped flowers have lovely green blotches on the tips of each petal, like a little dab of green paint! I also have Leucojum aestivum, the Summer Snowflake, but this is much taller, and flowers later on in the year.

An interesting and unusual plant of interest this month is Petasites japonicus var. giganteus "Variegatus". The flowers emerge above ground before the foliage, and from a distance look for all the world like a bunch of cauliflowers! However, on closer inspection it can bee seen that the heads consist of a cluster of greeny-yellow fragrant flowers, which are attractive to early flying insects. The leaves emerge later on in March and in this particular variety are attractively marbled in cream.

In the conservatory, one of my Cymbidium Orchids has flowered. I was quite surprised about this, as I re-potted all my Orchids last year, and they often take a year or so to settle down and flower again. It's been in flower since January, and should last at least another two months, or even longer.

That's all for this month...... Happy Gardening!!

Blackbird, Blackcap, Blue Tit, Chaffinch, Collared Dove, Crow, Dunnock, Goldfinch, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Greenfinch, House Sparrow, Long-tailed Tit, Magpie, Robin, Rook, Seagull, Siskin, Starling, Thrush, Wood Pigeon, Wren.

A CALENDAR OF SONNETS: FEBRUARY
Helen Hunt Jackson