Snowdrops are beginning to bloom in our garden; mahonia spotted with yellow (but no bees to lap up that dizzy scent yet); a few primroses and the tops of the rhubarb showing pink. Our ornamental citrus fruits have all turned orange and my experimental will-they-overwinter chillies and peppers are surviving, with one small green pepper yellowing! 

Snowdrops beginning to bloom in our garden as well. And we have a Crocus forcing it`s way up between two paving stones.

Over the past week I’ve managed to get to several places to try and get the perfect snowdrop image. Including Kingston Lacey near Wimborne which has some pretty good views and with the good weather lots of people even during the week enjoying the spectacle. Compton Valence further west was worth a trip as it is only a short drive. How they cope with lots of visitors I have no idea as the roads are quite narrow. Still a pretty good display along the verges and banks that someone must have established at some point. As it was a weekday I was the only person wandering around. Then last of all the churchyard at Turners Puddle near Bere Begis. Here a few bright yellow aconites were flowering. 

One thing common to all was how early the snowdrops are this year. For places in Dorset that are advertising special snowdrop days in mid February I would think they will be past their best by then. The ones I saw were probably at their best last week. However some in our north shaded garden are only just coming into flower whilst ones in sunnier places seem past their peak now. 

And lastly with the mild winter the slugs were having a feast in some places meaning the perfect image close up can be hard to find without the wee beasties appearing in the pictures.

One thing I think many people forget is how snowdrops are not native, being an introduced species and for the best displays need a little or lot of help to maintain the displays. The best time to do this is when they are just finishing and can be transplanted to new spots in the green so to speak Although they do seed as Four mentions and spread this way, splitting existing clumps is perhaps the fastest way to increase them.

Dwarf Iris (reticulata) in flower today's sunshine, in outdoor pots

It's lovely to hear all those place names I am so familiar with. The side-roads between Bridport and Beaminster, a bit further west, where my father lives, should by shiny with snowdrops now. We have plenty up- but our usually most prolific clump has just three pert blooms.

Crocuses flowering today in my lawns in that cold sunshine = 28.

Two pepper plants, one with a ripening fruit, and a kaffir lime plant (killed one last winter or the winter before) have made it fine so far in the porch- but it looks like a -4 or -5 possible tonight/ tomorrow night so, despite the good lady's frowns, they're coming in!

I love those; we've planted them in several of the last 10 or so years but they only seem to last the season. What can I do- is it the soil (clay)?

Sun is reaching across the lawns now; a beautiful display of crocuses showing.

One of the clematis has broken its way into my shed- looks quite nice though.

I need to cut back the budding blackcurrant today as it's bushed right out over one of the veg plots. 

I've just repaired the netting on one side- I spotted an intruder with whiskers checking out the fine till; got to it just before it adopted the squatting position! Hah!

Just sowed lots of early peas- in the shed (March sowing outdoors). We will hopefully harvest these as pea shoots, with which the children continue to be enamoured.

Caught in a blustery shower- just about to sow turnips.

We grew some chantennay carrots last summer. Only sowed them late, in a couple of rectangular planters, and never bothered to thin them out. When we came to pick some last autumn, the vast majority were too tiny and we had a meagre crop. I just left them in and forgot about them, only remembering at the weekend when I was doing a little tidying up. Harvested the rest and, although most could be accurately described as 'baby', there were well over 100 little carrots. Very tasty they were with Sunday dinner, too. Just shows how mild and easy the winter's been.

With so many of them, Saint, I would imagine they made an exciting tasty addition to the dish.

Indoor pepper is failing fast, but the two chillies are pumping out shrouds of bright white flowers. Fingers crossed.

Such is the nature of this snow, that the spring bulb flowers are quite unperturbed; the crocuses are buried but the daffs are upright, seemingly not forced to bend as they would under wetter snow; one clump is shining egg-yolk yellow through the little cavelet they've made for themselves. Elsewhere, humps and tussocks of fine powder betray the location of my flowers!

My TETE a Tete daffs are all knocked over due to the snow. They put on a good show of color. 

First cutting of lawns today and a general helping of chicken manure pellets applied ..Need some rain now to wash the poo in 

I fed my lawn a couple of weeks ago when we had some mild weather. Reckon I might cut tomorrow weather permitting

I’ve pruned my climbing roses today and tidied up the borders.  The lawns will have to wait but they’re not too bad yet.  My bro in law has a gardening business and they've been extremely busy with lawn services this week.  A sure sign that Spring hasn’t been cancelled. 

Cut our lawn for the first time this morning, Lionel. I put it off as long as possible to avoid stimulating growth too early - set the  cut high as I want to suppress the moss a bit. Very pleased to have done it, but not as pleased as the local cock blackbird, who treated me to a display of dominance, followed by careful inspection of my work and collection of a few snacks.

A great bird - he watches me through the kitchen window if I am slow to put out food in the morning - and threatens me with an aggressive stance!

Roger

I'm afraid that I'm not as kind to my lawn as you are - I tend to treat it as a kind of necessary evil. The lawn has to fit in with my schedule so mowing ties in with when I have a chance to do it as opposed to what is necessarily best for the lawn. My lawn is a bit moss infested in parts and quite clovery in others as a result. One benefit of the clover is that it can flower quite well in summer and the clover flowers are much appreciated by the bees. I'm sure that some gardeners would be horrified to see my lawn but my view is that if it's green, that's good enough for me and I'm not overly bothered as to which plants are causing the green. 

Plenty blackbirds on my lawn too, though none of mine seem to have quite the personality of yours!

Been out in sunshine .Trimmed all the herbs. Need to refresh them now as getting woody. Strawberries plants are in the growing room. Cut mint in a pot of water has taken root.. Will plant them up soon. Basil is the next to be sown.   

Our resident blackbirds are enjoying my occasional dig in the border!  They’re not daft are they?   As soon as they hear a spade or trowel scraping, they appear on the fence!  

Shine sun, seed grows, woman weeds, man mows.

R.

ooh! a sexist stereotype