Early Flowering

Cyclamen coum among the leaf litter 

There comes a moment in February when you catch sight of something in the garden, perhaps a single snowdrop, among the dead leaf litter and you know spring is coming and things are waking up. This year the very first flower was a double white hellebore that actually started flowering last November. (It is still out today, fantastic tenacity!)

Double white hellebore, flowering since November

But as usual the first flowers this spring were the early purple crocuses. They used to be a very pale mauve, but since I planted some deep purple ones they have got together and are now spreading all over the grass under the apple tree - a lovely mixture  of pale and dark. 

A scattering of early crocuses

Then came the snowdrops. There are not many of them. I have had such a  hard time getting them to establish. Last year a friend gave me some clumps from her Kent garden and they seem to have taken but are late and not yet very floriferous. 

The first tiny clump of snowdrops

My one aconite (like the snowdrops I have had a hard time getting aconites established) looks as though it might flower. The tiny bright flowers of the wild Cyclamen coum all among the undergrowth are utterly charming. It's remarkable how strongly such a fragile-looking thing can make its presence felt.

Cyclamen coum

                                               

 Primroses are among the plants that like the conditions here and will spread all over the place and flower  early. They are flowers from my Scottish childhood and I am particularly fond of them.  

Primroses in February 

I'm  not the only one who enjoys these early flowers. Out of the window I spied the squirrel sitting amongst the crocuses picking them by the handful and gobbling them down greedily. Normally I would protest, but really, there are so many, it's not going to make any difference, so bon apétit you greedy little rodent.