For all that seasons change subtly and sometimes fool us, there comes a day when you know that the new one has well and truly arrived for all to see, hear and breathe. A fresh, bright spring day when all the blossom is out and the skies are clear is a definite declaration, no matter the breezes or when follow-up days are grey and dull again – it’s just obvious. That happened here this week, just in time for April, which presumably will bring the usual showers and as the snow never amounted to more than an inch overnight this winter (my only photographs are dark night snow as it had always melted by the following day…) we certainly won’t be having any more of that, thankyou. Frosts, though, are possible right through to mid-May, when the ice-saints (usually just Servatius, Bonifatius and Sophie but apparently there are 5, with Mamertus and Pankratius preceding them!) culminate in the “Kalte Sophie” (cold Sophie) and the 16th May sees a frenzy of people putting all their tender plants, in particular geraniums, out…
Anyway, I think it’s now sprung!
All those hellebores are waiting to go in – inspired by my grandmother-in-law’s garden… 
I found it very interesting to see how my 18 year old sees what I have shown above…!
The Little Wash-House 
Effort rewarded! It all looks fantastic – I love the woodland effect of your first pic, and Alina enjoying the sun. Your borders are so pretty – fingers crossed that we’ll get some colour in our front flower bed.
You wouldn’t think we were in the middle of town, would you?! 😉 We have daffs, too, and perennial forget-me-nots but they didn’t photograph very well!
Oh, that magnolia (and darling dog)! Spring is just about to spring here too….
Beautiful photos! I think those are peonie stalks coming up way earlier than ours here and the helibores also are much further forward. Interesting. Pleased to see today that my roses are growing and filling out but a few have black fly which I will treat. My clematis has reached the top of the fence so look forward to seeing how far that spreads this year. Exciting!
Isn’t the sheer pace of growth amazing at this time of year?! My clematis has also reached upwards and I’ve given her a bit more room by cutting the dog rose back that was challenging her space and hope she’ll grow along the fence now, too… 🙂