This week we’ve had a warm-snap, with temperatures up to 11 and 12 deg C. Some things have put on a spurt of growth, I’ve put on a spurt of walking round the garden and looking at stuff. It seems like some cooler air from France is on its way though. Before I get to the gentle wander round that this week’s #SixOnSaturday represents, here’s a bonus image for those with a geeky interest in temperature. I have combined the latter with last year’s new hobby of crochet to start a ‘temperature blanket’ — choose a pallet of colours, then crochet of row of the appropriate colour, every day, all year. So far, the first 12 days of the year are here (New Years Day was rather warm, hence the limey green). Now I need to go and add that warm snap in ‘nougat’.

For this week’s six, I will start with warm thoughts about the growing season. I thought I’d try some early greens, the first seeds of pak choi and mustard have been started in the house, now they must take their chances in the greenhouse.

Last year’s flowers are featuring still in the borders, with hebe just flowering and flowering. I had to show this close-up, what a delicate cluster of little flowerlets.

In terms of new growth, witch hazel has just begun to unfurl its tiny pale, yet sweet-smelling flowers.

Snowdrops have decided that now is the time to start flowering, although the cold-to-come should slow them down quite a bit.

One of my small-flowered roses has also started to give growth a grow, with new leaves coming amidst last year’s rose-hips.

My most joyful find of this week is the start of the crocus season. It must have got warm enough on the windowsill near the house door to start them off. Almost in flower!

I hope you enjoyed another winter #SixOnSaturday. It is midwinter, yet just a short stagger into the garden on a sunny day brings hope and joy. Thanks to those leaving comments on the blog – sorry if I don’t always get back to you on time! The blog is going well, but it would be great if more folk on Mastodon, or other parts of the Fediverse got into tooting a Six! Go on, it’s a much kinder form of social media, not controlled by crazy billionaires. All you need to do is find 6 things in your garden to show us. Then post on social, or add a link at Jim’s blog below. For regulars, our organiser is Jim at https://gardenruminations.co.uk/. And I’m on mastodon @julie3dharris@mastodon.scot