Mud Stops Play

Aconites peeping shyly out of the ground

Winter in my garden means soggy ground. The other day it meant a very muddy and slippery path to the compost heap. I walked with particular care, but I fell anyway vainly clutching at a small holly tree as I went. No bones broken but I thought it best  to admire the garden from the safety of indoors until it dries out. 

                                    

So here from the kitchen window I can see the double white hellebore I bought years ago from Ashwood Nurseries in the West Midlands. It is always the first to flower - even before the true Christmas rose Helleborus niger. 

Then there's the carpet of early  pale mauve crocuses under the apple tree, which open up so cheerfully when the sun shines. Through the window I can almost see, but have to imagine the cluster of winter aconites, each one the brightest yellow with a little frilly green collar. 

                  A clump of early crocuses                                            Spidery witch hazel

The witch hazel is sporting it's spidery flowers just now - not yellow, but a subtle plum colour.  

There are a few snowdrops but they don't like this garden. Perhaps I haven't provided enough of a woodland environment for them on my heavy clay. There are a few white hardy Cyclamen coum I can see from the window - they do like it here and spread themselves about with abandon                                              

Having time on my hands, I went to visit a friend in Islington and admired her splendid mimosa tree - grown in a large pot so kept a manageable size (they grow fast, become big trees and can get out of hand if planted in the ground.) It's bright yellow mini pompoms and its feathery leaves really respond to the spring sunshine.

Mood-lifting mimosa tree grown in a pot