SPRING?

He asks as the hail hits the paving. Yes we did see our first swallow today and the ospreys at Foulshaw have an egg but the wind is cold and it has been so wet.

We also saw a tree creeper on the cherry.

The eucalyptus has shed its lower bark into a neat heap.

And we have had a harlequin ladybird, spectabilis, here - it is an invader and sadly eats other ladybirds.

Seedlings are everywhere, carpeting the path to the pond, even a sycamore behind the wiper on R's car.

The young trees have interesting colours in the fresh leaves. Have to pull them up or they would take over. Also have to deflower the rhubarb (if that is the right expression?)

We did wonder if we were going to get no cowslips but they are coming late. The Stonefield Castle rhododendron flower has lost its pink and is now white.

As one walks the woodland there is a wonderful scent and it is our rhododendron we bought in Matlock Bath some years ago.

And the Rambling Rector by the old well is out of control - will need hard pruning after it has flowered.

There is other blossom besides the cherries - greengage, damson and pear for example -

Down by the pond, still spawnless, the iris leaves and ferns give good vertical shape and the kingcups are flowering.

Elsewhere Tom's flowering currant is great and there are forget-me-nots sown all over the place.

There are also wild flowers like the cuckoo pint, bluebell and dog violet by the wood.

Sarah Raven's tulips are coming into flower in a pot outside the kitchen and I have put in the first sweet peas after loads of well rotted horse manure - hungry plants. I have also potted up five hollyhocks that arrived today in the post. Not had a lot of success with these before but here goes. So lawn, well some of it, had its first scalping . Spring is coming and the sun was warm on my back today, just a pity about the chilly breeze.