Stepchange

Things are happening in the garden.It's light now when Lucy and I leave for school. Birds are obviously claiming territories and checking out nesting sites. There has been sunshine today, and I have the washing out for the first time this year. We've had the smallest possible helping of the very first broccoli.

In the greenhouse the endives are beginning to put on leaf, and the herb cuttings that have overwintered are perking up nicely.

The rhubarb looks encouraging, and buds are swelling on the fruit bushes.

There are new shoots in the flower garden, on the valerian

and the peonies.

The blog has been quite slow of late,because things have changed a lot round here. We finalised the content of the latest Stravaig, and I finished a set of Huldra poems. And then my younger daughter moved back home to start a new job, and we've been to reconfiguring the house to accommodate her, and in readiness for the visits of number 2 grandchild - due in the summer. It's meant a lot of clearing, cleaning and repurposing, several trips to charity shops and to the tip, and a lot of rethinking how I use my time and space.Gardening is about to start in earnest, too. One project that I have planned is a 'fairy garden' which Lucy and I are going to plant, with soi-disant roses and candytuft, zinnia 'thumbelina'and 'ballerina' poppies, and snapdragons, so I'm gearing up for sowing those seeds, as well as peppers, tomatoes and rosemary.Poetry seems to be taking a back seat, but I'm eagerly waiting for the entries to the Red Squirrel Competition - due any day now! The snowdrops are just hitting their stride, and so, I hope, am I.