A New Year, with enough rain in the first week to fill January! Luckily, there were a few bright times for a nip out into the garden. I had a good look around to find what’s bringing garden joy as the year begins. Here are my favourites for #SixOnSaturday

My gardening year starts in the first week of January with a ritual sowing of the first chilli seeds. You can see them being sown in the greenhouse, but they will come into a base-heated propagator in the warm house, before graduating to a warm windowsill for many weeks to come.

I would not have bet that the first decent flower I saw this year was a primrose, but here are 3 shivering little blooms in a sheltered corner.

Some of my flower beds will need to be cut back very soon, rather than waiting for their usual spring haircut. Seemed like a good time to enjoy the last of the fennel seed heads.

Over the last few years i have come to love hardy geranium. Even in the gloom of winter the plants are stealing themselves for the year ahead. Bring on spring!

Looking back up towards the sky, hazel catkins are budding.

Last but not least, no flowers yet, despite the mild wet weather, but there is promise in a little clump of snowdrops, they are on their way.

That’s my #SixOnSaturday for this week. Who knows what the climate situation will bring us this year? Whatever it is, I hope you don’t experience too many disruptions to personal circumstances. Join the sixes on Mastodon or other instances in the Fediverse via #SixOnSaturday, we need a few more folk to toot on the topic: come join us. 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/. Also on the former birdsite, for those who must: @JamesLStephens. And I’m on mastodon @julie3dharris@mastodon.scot