ALL KINDS OF EVERYTHING

 One moment the sun is out and warm on my face then it is snowing, an icy wind blows down from the north east.

The garden takes a beating. the red tulips are ragged and horizontal, there is snow on the grass. I expect the tadpoles and frogs are well buried at the bottom of the pond.

It calms down a bit by Wednesday after some sunshine but is raining.

There are a few bonuses - the rhubarb is out of the top of the forcing pot and we have broccoli, a bit moth-eaten but ok.

Seedlings are growing but I have put off the transferring of the sweet peas until slightly warmer climes.

We were disturbed in the kitchen by a tapping on the window and there were a pair of long-tailed tits wanting to come in.

They are such dainty birds weighing no more than 10 grams at the most and under 14 cm long - all tail. (Please excuse the dirty window).

Sort of talking birds occasionally there can be surprise - I was watching the goldfinches on the nyger seed feeder when a greenfinch landed. I have not seen one here for a few years. Their numbers were decimated by trichomonosis.

Today I got, fed up and planted out the sweet peas. fingers crossed. Each plant has a moat of grit around it to try and deter the snails and slugs. I have sown parsnips, one seed in each of a dozen toilet roll inners filled with compost sown the white snapdragon seed.

A friend wants some redcurrant bushes and I have some to spare so three are going. They take as cuttings so easily as do black currants.

The euonymus the gardener S moved in the autumn is well and sprouting leaves.

Then there are the lambs from the field. They had found a way under our new fence into the garden but were ushered out by R.

I have put and old plank along the bottom edge of the wire.

They are just like a gang of hooligans, escaping and then unable to work out how to get back to the ewes who are calling loudly.

I know - daffs daffs daffs but they have been spectacular this year.

Time to eat that rhubarb, now out of the top of the forcing pot. The young stems will be more tender and juicy - however we still have rhubarb ink the freezer from last year.

The cherries are coming out and the garden is coming alive. Cosmos seedlings potted up, potted some white honesty, sowed some parsnip seeds in modules and courgette seeds. More algae raked from the pond.

And I leave you with this photo of the wild daffodils in our churchyard.