THWO

Very glad winter's over, bumble bees on the shrubs, just pruned the buddleia hedge on the banking, rhubarb coming on - eating it next week I think. Celandines appearing in the flowerbeds - do I remove or not? Think I will wait a bit and see.

Only snag is I have to garden with a peg on my nose as the blower has gone kaput in the septic tank - I know, just the lovely sort of news you wanted to hear. Anyway rescue (and a new blower) on the way - I hope.

The light is so much better up in the wood making the daffodils glow, the grass seem that bit greener. We sat out this afternoon with a cup of tea for the first time - R in her anorak, me just a shirt and rolled up sleeves.

In this pic you can see the chimes  - and - if you look closely a wood pigeon in the tree on the right. I did not notice that when I took the photo.

R arrived back from town with three hyacinths in little pots - she wants them put in the famille vert bowl (chipped and cracked so probably only worth a fortune). She did let me line the bowl with a plastic bag. Then I potted them up and covered the surface with lush moss from the stone wall at the far end of the garden.

Went to a physio for bad back and now have 30 min of exercises a day - so back really bad now! She agreed with me that it is shot at! I seem to have lost an inch in height - nothing to do with stopping wearing high heels either.

And two days later - ok digging in garden but washing the kitchen floor and yow! Limping and sore.

The Acer sango kaku's red stems are in fine fettle, especially after the rain.

Birds are thriving (not so the frogs) as the grey heron is by the pond, and the cock pheasant has taken to sitting on the fence by the feeders - presumably hoping the hen pheasant will pass by?

I haven't seen any rats recently which will please R but the little vole keeps nipping out from under the shed for any seeds dropped by the birds from one of the feeders. There are a lot of bank voles in the garden but they are not seen often.

I had set myself the discipline of a once a week blog but at this time of year, with so much happening, it is very difficult - so beware.