Wow, how things can change in a day. On Friday this week it was sunny and I sat in a sheltered spot by the pond with a cup of tea, listening to the birds and watching frogs gather in the pond. It does feel like spring is on its way. This week’s #SixOnSaturday has some springy things beginning to appear.

The viburnum has almost come to the end of it’s season. Now on sunny mornings it is covered in honey bees. Here’s one having a feast.

Down low in the borders, spring flowers are just starting. This is one of the very first Scilla to pop up its little head.

My various pink, white and whitish-pink hellebores have just woken up, but are holding their heads rather low still.

The bees really were forming a queue this morning, as soon as the sun hit the tubs of crocus bulbs, and the flowers opened, in went bees to collect all the wonderful nectar and pollen.

Spring iris have just started to appear too. These do best for me in pots, somehow they must rot away or get eaten in the open ground. I love the rich purple colour that this one is displaying.

Finally, will this be the last time you see my favourite winter flowering plant this year? Perhaps. The dark pink hellebore looked absolutely magnificent in the sunshine on Friday morning. A wonderful sight.

That turned out to be a very colourful and hopeful array of blooms with which to end February. Bring on Spring, I’m so ready for it this year. And so are the bees it seems.

Thanks to those leaving comments on the blog. I do read them all, keep them coming. And do join in with #SixOnSaturday. 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

There’s still so little growing in the garden that I may be repeating myself each week. This time, I’ve tried to focus in on some interesting details in flower and foliage. This week’s #SixOnSaturday coming up!

I will start where it is nice and warm (ie above 4 deg C) in the greenhouse today. I have had to work hard to prevent over-wintering plants from rotting, making sure to air the greenhouse on the few non-rainy days when I’m also not at work! It has paid off, some of the geraniums are starting to sprout new leaves. They have wonderful texture.

Pulmonaria is good plant for February. This often gets itself going on those sunny cold days we get in winter. We have had very few of those this year, but at last, in the second half of February, here they come. The detail of the subtle colour change across the flowers, and their hairiness is great to get close to.

Briefly back to the greenhouse. I have started seeds in the house, then as soon as they poke up their heads, they get moved to the greenhouse. Some tiny leek seedlings seem to be responding well to this relatively harsh treatment.

Back into the main garden, the brave poppies that had a go a couple of weeks ago seem to have survived last week’s sprinkle of snow and are bulking out nicely now, another plant full of hairy, slightly spongey leaves.

And now for the great news. Anemones are just about making it, here is my first flower, in a pot, in a warm location near the greenhouse.

Euphorbia are also getting the action going, with their new little shoots, each holding a tiny flower. These thugs can be annoying when they spread themselves widely, but it is great to see their greenery in late winter.

There, I did find 6 interesting things to look at this week. Got me into the garden and cheered me up a bit. I hope it did that for you too. Thanks to those leaving comments on the blog. I do read them all, keep them coming. And do join in with #SixOnSaturday. 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

Happy Valentine’s day to all who celebrate. There’s so little growing in the garden yet that it is sometimes hard to summon the love. But something lovely did happen on Friday 13th, and I managed to get out and enjoy it. For the first time in about 25 days we had some sunshine and blue sky. This week’s #SixOnSaturday shows that sunshine streaming onto some lovely sights in my garden.

There are signs of the new season ahead. Here are some tiny lupin shoots, just starting their journey back to life.

Lit by the sun, those magnolia buds that always take forever to open are looking more and more promising….properly furry this weekend.

Back on the ground, I think this will be a rudbeckia or similar, with tall stems and lovely yellow daisy like flowers in mid-summer. It’s on its way.

In the old established border, pieris is flowering hard. The sunlight make details of the tiny flowers much easier to pick out.

Back to the ground for the last time. I think this is either delphinium, or monkshead, or is the latter a wild poisonous variety of the former? In any case, here comes another 2026 plant.

Last, just look at this late winter blue, blue blue sky, with hazelnut catkins blazing away in the sunshine. Here’s the love!

Thanks to those leaving comments on the blog. I do read them all, keep them coming. And do join in with #SixOnSaturday. 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

I’m so glad we are into February now. This winter has felt dreary and endless so far. I hope things perk up soon. In this part of Scotland we are on our 35th consecutive day of rain now…..and most of those days have been grey and wet ALL day. Yurghhhhhh!

Thanks to Jim (https://gardenruminations.co.uk/), the host of #SixOnSaturday, who pointed out last week that what I thought was Lorapetalum, could possibly be Leucothoe. Having looked more closely, I think he’s right — thanks Jim!

I have found it hard this week to get out and find new joys in the garden. Some of this week’s #SixOnSaturday are repeats from January, they ARE still giving me some joy through the gloom. Here they are.

First up this week, moss (and some ivy). There’s a lot of moss here. This patch, with its clinging ivy friend is on an old bit of sandstone wall. When you get close, the detail is lovely and the colour vivid.

Snowdrops are battling on…with no sign of snow. That’s probably just as well with 30mm of rain in February alone so far! At least I have not been snowed-in. They look lovely set against some of the leaves from autumn.

Hellebore are sending out some very healthy new shoots, also in a nice fresh green.

I am always glad to see the first of the hardy geraniums pushing their way through. This one has a charming dark blob in the middle of each leaf. I think it will be the one that has a small dark red (almost purple) flower early in the season.

Also forcing its way through, and I guess because the Grimes winter has tended to be warmish, a big poppy is bursting into life. If we get snow or heavy frost in the next few weeks, its progress will be slammed. Great for now…..

To finish this week, POW!! Here’s is my favourite Hellebore once again. Now at her peak, with wonderful purple flowers, yellow stamens, and lots of buds to come. This plant is loving the wet.

Thanks to those leaving comments on the blog. I do read them all, but the particular way I’m using WordPress (via a private server), I have yet to find a way to actually publish them on the blog. Join in with our #SixOnSaturday thoughts and images. 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