It may be spring but it’s been 6 degC out there this week, and 25mph wind, hail, and even a few minutes of snow. A classic Scottish spring. The flowers and buds are ploughing on regardless. My #SixonSaturday this week feature the joys of their colour and resilience. First, one of the loveliest of spring bulbs, I’ve never liked the name snake’s head fritillary, but the flowers are so delicate, and the patterns so perfect.

There are still winter flowers on the go, the detail on the viburnum flowers is worth a close look. Each little flower demonstrates exquisite anatomical detail.

Daffodils, for me there’s nothing better. I’m going to show them every week that they manage to keep blooming (could be a good long season given current temperatures). These are a different variety from last week. I don’t know the name, slightly conical centre and pale outer petals.

Still not much blossom showing here. I own a very old pear tree (if it’s as old as the house, it’ll be more than 200 years). Looks like the first blossom will come very soon, the buds have burst.

Another winter beauty, seeds are starting to set in some of the flowers on the hellebore. Almost time to say goodbye for another year.

I’m going to end this week’s six with my new favourite (sorry fritillary), the drumstick primula. What colour, what form, what’s not to love?

That’s my Six for this week. Do join in, there are lots of contributors on Twitter, and more via the regular blog from #SixonSaturday initiator, the great Propagator his-self.

I am thrilled that we’re in a period of stable calm weather for the spring equinox. The weather forecast for the last fews days has been ‘calm but cloudy’, and frequently proven wrong with the sun showing itself and temperatures rising to mid teens. Reminds me of spring 2020….mmm, there’s another anniversary coming up this week: lockdown 1 . Wow, a year! This week’s #SixonSaturday will not dwell on anniversaries but look forward to the gardening season ahead. First, we found a local craftsman to refurbish our cast-iron-ended table, bench and chairs. Thanks ‘St. Andrews Handyman’, these are just lovely.

Next, amelanchier are often the first shrubs to blossom in my garden. They haven’t quite made it as the winners this year (see below), but are well on their way, just about to burst. I love the tinge of red from the leaves as the white blossom comes through.

What has made it as ‘first plant to blossom’ is my ancient prunus. This large tree flowers sparsely, yet the first flowers always come on tiny twigs really close to the main trunk. Almost there, the colour of the buds is pleasingly intense.

I love native primrose, but never remember to plant into the garden. Instead, I have a range from pale pink to dark red, pretty, I think…..

Just in time for the equinox, the daffs have come, and here they are. No doubt they will feature in my #sixonsaturdy each week, for the week weeks we have them. What’s not to love?

Finally this week, the spring bulbs are probably at their best now. Hellibore seems to have enjoyed the cold snap back in February, and are now at their best, swaddled in scilla. A lovely tableau to end on.

That’s my Six for this week. Do join in, there are lots of contributors on Twitter, and more via the regular blog from #SixonSaturday initiator, the great Propagator his-self.

Another week of early spring. Some good signs, with sweet peas and lettuce coming up in the greenhouse. Some less good, with a mouse nibbling on chitting tatties, and pea seedlings all rotting. I can’t believe that it was one year ago this week that was my last ‘normal’ week at work, but so the year turns. Just as well we didn’t know then what we’d be doing one year on. For my #sixonsaturday I have a mishmash of edible promise, beautiful flowers, and welcome wildlife. First up, this could be the last week for hellebores. This is one of my best photo’s yet, of my favourite plant. The flower is luscious, yet perfect.

The still bare borders are losing the snowdrops now, it’s almost time to transplant them. In their place scilla are popping up their cheerful blue heads.

I have nurtured a brown-leafed celandine in a rose pot for a few years. This year it’s leaves seem variegated, an interesting flourish or a nutrient deficiency? It’s hard to say. I do like the way the chocolate leaves set off the first bright yellow flowers of the year.

In the edible garden, the first genuine stirrings of spring are here. The first bud of rhubarb. Granted, it’ll be a while until this will make a crumble, but I’m hoping the plant will thrive in 2021 as a large shrub next to it has been pruned back very hard to open it up to more sunlight.

The first greenhouse nutured plantlets are almost ready to go out. Broad beans have been hardened off for a few hours a day. I can’t wait to eat their young beans in a pillau rice with dill and caramelised onion. I’d thought of planting them this weekend, but frost in due, maybe I’ll hold off for a few more days.

Last, on 11th March, a number of frogs appeared in the pond (at least 4). Within a couple of hours, and a fair bit of wriggling (the joys of working from home), there was a huge mound of frogspawn. There are now a couple of frogs to be seen most of the day, on babysitting duty. I do love a pond, so much wildlife (the newts are likely to appear any day, they do like a bit of fresh meat in jelly).

That’s my #sixonsaturday for this week. Do join in, there are lots of contributors on Twitter, and more via the regular blog from #SixonSaturday initiator, the great Propagator.

Is it spring? The Meteorological Office say so, but there was a layer of ice on the pond this morning. What the heck, the sun is out, it’s warm in the house, and there are tempting signs of growth all over the garden. With spring in mind, I will focus on blooms this week for my #SixonSaturday. My absolutely favourite spring flower is the daffodil. We’re fairly high up, and rather far north, so far I have one flower, in a pot in a sunny corner. So here it is, beautiful.

There has been some time to clear last season’s growth away from my borders. This work was rewarded by the appearance of several patches of hellebore. Pretty in pink.

I’ve always loved the swathes of native primrose that can be seen across woodlands, moors and hillsides at this time of year. There will be a few in local woodlands soon. In the garden, I have a mix of not-so-favourite colourful versions. This is the first to bloom, another little pink princess. I wonder which critters are chewing off the flowers (see right)?

Now here is a pink that I do love, and that will turn blue as the flower’s mature. Pulmonaria, just coming into bloom. I have spied a couple of bees having a feed (didn’t manage any photos), these plants provide great early nectar for our pollinating friends.

What could be more cheerful than a bowl of crocus on a sunny doorstep. Quite a few were purchased this year, and every pot is a joy, what a winner!

Last but, by no means least this week, I guess I’ll need to call this my second-favourite spring flower. Tiny little iris. I bought lots of bulbs (yep, more lockdown shopping), SO worth it. I have a couple of pots in the courtyard by the front-door, to cheer up the postman, and another on an outside windowsill in my home-office. You’ve got to love them.

That’s my Six on Saturday this week. For other gardening blogs from all over the world check out the great Propagator and follow #SIxonSaturday on twitter. Happy gardening, and may the weather be with you.