Has spring sprung in Somerset?

lovely to see all the new spring flowers

Nice blog Spritz. Isnt it lovely to see all those little flowers coming through after all that bad weather.

Your spring has sprung in my eyes Spritz,as you must live in the 'tropics'compared with here in Yorkshire. The signs are there,so hopefully not too long before we see something.I love your Irises,and your pic of the Snowdrops and Cyclamen together...so pretty..

Lovely photo's, I feel quite springy now;0))

Wonderful to see a little bit of colour coming through ... seems so long since there was anything but green! : o )

It's great when we see the first signs of spring isn't it Spritz? I'm really enjoying getting out there again and doing some productive work

Lovely beautiful flowers in your garden, Spritz! Living further south you would get the warmer weather earlier than the rest of us.

The last few weeks has seen an increase in the flowers around here. Even on my balcony I now have Crocuses opening! There are still lots to come & many more bulbs still to flower! :-))

Even been able to do a tiny bit of work on the allotment!

Thank you so much B! What a tonic! I bet the scent from that lonicera is wonderful! If only we had smelloputing!

all my Iris are only about 1" tall so a long way off as yet.
lovely plants and photos spritz :o)

Oh it must be grand taking a walk around your garden now Spritz,seeing everything coming into bloom certainly gives one a boost even if it is in someone else`s garden, shows we are getting nearer to springtime..Hope Henry is keeping well.......

Seaburngirl...my irises are in the greenhouse and they are only just peeking above the soil in the pots! Still, looking at Spritz's I think they will be well worth waiting for!

Lovely Spritzhenry it is so nice to see some colour in the garden ,I have some Snowdrop's out.

After considering the evidence, yes I think Spring has sprung in Somerset.

lovely photos and lovely plants; think i had better go out tomorrow and tidy up my garden.

Loved it all Spritz. My Helebore buds are nice and fat, the Lenten and the Niger and my "Freckles" is blooming despite the hacking back. Im also quietly holding my breath..I THINK I might have a couple of snowdrops coming thru..but at only 1/8th of an inch..cant be sure!

However, really fell for the Winter Honeysuckle..a new one on me! That is next to Love Child on my wish list, which also needs pruning!!

Hi Spritz - thanks for all the cheerful photos! I see you mention "ash tree" in your garden . . . we have a huge one, and I was glaring at it the other day because it has THOUSANDS of keys hanging there, just waiting to fall. They germinate within seconds, and I seem to spend half my gardening life pulling out the seedlings (not so bad, until you see the hidden ones that are quite well rooted . . ). Do you have a Cunning Plan for dealing with them???

Thanks for all the lovely comments. So you all have something to look forward to!

Tetra - I'm surprised that your snowdrops aren't out yet - you're not very far away, after all.

Sheila - I do agree. We have TWO weeping ash trees, and the one where the snowdrops are does drive me potty with its babies. My cunning plan, such as it is, is to get OH to run the mower over them when he does the lawn and chop'em off. The ones that fly into the borders, well, I just have to weed them out, I'm afraid. :-(

perhaps tet is hiding her snowdrops ~ i was surprised they werent out.
do you live near bristol zoo tet? have the lions been roaring and frightening your snowdrops?

Lovely to see everything flowering in your garden.... only snowdrops in mine at the moment........

I've got more Crocuses everyday but they will shortly be joined by the mini daffs Tete-a-Tete. In the comong weeks I will have no end of bulbs flowering & the Pansies are already making a nice show! There is so much to come in the next few weeks that every day will be a surprise! :-))

so nice to see the Summerset spring....im sure i could smell springtime this afternoon here in Pembrokeshire. snow drops are popping up all over and the daffs comming up thick and fast. we had better enjoy it before it snows again...lol

I found a bunch of crocus out today after clearing up some leaves, they make you smile - snowdrops looking good also, loved the photos Spritz thank you, spring is definitely just around the corner. I love the iris, I am looking out for one (don't know its name) maybe you can help with that, it is the darkest darkest blue (well I think it is blue) rather than purple if you could tell me what it is called I should be grateful. It has a little bit of lemon or cream on it but I don't seem to be able to buy it anywhere. Have seen it in a garden will have to sneak out and steal a bulb me thinks. Hope you can help.

sorry i forgot to say wow....i love your iris...i didnt know that they flowered so early....

You`re right Spritz, how could you fail to smile at all that beauty. I`ve never been able to grow Irises but I have a few Snowdrops and I`m going to get a few pots of Aconites, they look so cheerful and will brighten up a dark spot.

I agree, more flowers seem to be opening here each day - but I am aware that in some areas, it's still very cold and winter still has a grasp. :-((

Olive, It's very difficult without a photo - I'm wondering about 'Pixie', Edward', 'Blue Note' or 'Major'. I have the first two of these, and have seen the last two. There are so many named cultivars now, because breeders have been crossing the better ones. Sorry I can't be more help.

Thanks for that spritz, had a look but nothing as dark as the ones I am remembering, I will try and get a picture of them when they flower, they are in a garden where my husband works, so will get him to let me know when they have flowered and take some pictures. Thanks again.

We are along way off having your flowers yet. I can only see primroses and a few snowdrops and the winter flowering yellow jasmine is still putting on a brave face. Lots of my flowering shrubs are in bud but not showing any colour as yet. It is cold enough for snow today so I hope that does not happen.

Hi Spritz great photos, I love the Irises, we have a few snowdrops and some of my Iris are threatening to start flowering so I guess in Surrey we are about a week behind you.

So lovely to see your garden in flower again, always enjoy looking at your garden.

Thanks, Carol. :-)

Sorry I couldn't be of more assistance, Olive. I hope you can ID it. I'll be interested too!

I think that if your gardens are behind mine, you'll have lots to look forward to - it won't be long, Grandmage and Fleur. Keep smiling! :-)

Hi Spritz, what a lovely hopeful blog, it really is just around the corner isn't it? Well yours is actually here now. I've got some leaves just about poking through and I can see most of my plants are still alive...and I've found my camera which has been missing for weeks yay! I really must be more tidy ¦:-)

Pleasure to read your blog, Spritz, it cheered me up I too have LOST, even in my new cottage garden, BUT I too have little blue things peeking up. I did ask the question today regarding glads, have put some in pots, think I am a bit early but they were sprouting, with long roots. its been a hardy old winter, still more to come I feel, hard to all at the moment, with the way things are here in the old country, PLUS I am just getting over real flu, never had it before, UGH.... love to all x x

Poor you, I am sorry to hear you've had flu. It really is nasty, isn't it. I'm afraid winter may still have a sting in its tail - it's still only early February, after all. The flowers in my garden are very cheering, though. :-)

Ba - that's good - photos can now be taken and posted!

Good to see all those lovely flowers blooming in mid February Spritz. Those little Iris are so lovely and so early to flower. An uplifting blog.

Thanks - that's a nice thing to say. :-) I have turned into an Irisophile! lol.

~That must be a good thing spritz

What a wonderful spring display -- so encouraging after the dreary winter we've had. I had a Helleborus lividus in my hellebore border which turned up its toes. They must be difficult to cultivate. Your Iris reticulata are stunning. I've always meant to plant some but keep forgetting. I must make several notes to myself to do so this year because they are such a lovely sight in the spring. With such a great spring display, your garden must be really splendid in the summer and I look forward to seasonal updates.

Wonderful irises, but I'm struck anew by how noticeable the difference is in terms of the arrival of spring in different areas - we're nowhere near as advanced as this here in London, just having aconites and crocuses at the moment. Still, spring starts in the west, works its way across the south, and then up the country, and these lovely photographs confirm that. Funny though, in March, when I used to visit a garden centre in Farnham, I'd notice the plants there were about 2 weeks behind ours here in West London, so even a few miles further out makes a difference.

Just beautiful- love the iris! :-)

It is interesting, isn't it, Bamboo. When we visit our daughter in SW London, I notice the difference.

Thank you, Red aly. They're cheap to buy as bulbs, and they do make an impact at this time of year! :-))

Lovely pics Spritz :o)

Thank you - the weather's been milder for a while. Unfortunately, another bout of winter's on its way. :-(((

It's lovely here today¦:-)

Beautiful down here too ... planted my rose & two shrubs at last ... yellow crocus are smiling towards the sun ... hooray! : o ))

You are definitely a few weeks ahead of us northerners. Beautiful colours! Love the Irises.

Yes, I'm sure we are, Pam. I'm glad you like the Irises. :-)) We had an odd day today - sunshine and showers, but I got a lot done. Unfortunately, it appears that it'll rain hard tomorrow. Oh dear. :-((

I planted a pot with some lovely little rose bud primulas with a gold crest conifer, trimmed the hydrangeas and I finished off painting bedroom walls too. I've noticed lots of awful diseased looking leaves on some of my evergreen euonymus so cut one right back but am going to put a question on with some pics now I've found my camera..under lots of rubbish in my 'office' (spare bedroom) I should hate to lose the euonymus family, such useful plants ¦:-(

You have been busy, Ba! It rained all day here, so I couldn't get outside to do any gardening. I've noticed frost damage on some of my Euonymus, and E. lucidus is probably a goner. :-( I'm not cutting anything back yet, though - if another cold spell came along, the shrubs would be in danger again.

Great collection of the little iris.....i've taken a likeing for them lately....:>)

I don't blame you - they're wonderful little bulbs. :-0)

Rather late finding this......all very charming.

Bulbaholic wrote a blog to try and find out which iris reticulata grow where because so many people seem to have to replant them each year as they just disappear. I am one of those. Sometimes we do not even get the first year flowers. I bought some growing in pots and have just planted them in my new raised bed. I hope they will come again as they are the blue 'Harmony' and show up nicely alongside primulas and miniature daffodils. His results were inconclusive although members from all over the country wrote of their experiences.

I missed that! What a shame. The only Iris ret. that hasn't lasted is 'Natascha' - the white one. She was three. :-( All the others seem to be happy and reappear.

Hope mine keep coming, they are on their second season now. Look good at the moment.

They should, Olive. Carol Klein was wrong about them! ;-)

Oh that's good to hear.

Well - I've had my original ones for five seasons and they come up as good as new each year. :-)

Wonder why some don't then, it is strange, I have heard people talk about this before, but only time will tell eh! I shall keep my fingers crossed.

its soooooooooo lovely to see everything poping up now !!! every day i go out to see wots poped up next ;0)))

Guess what popped up or is it down in our garden, well all around actually. The Snow has returned. I hope it is only to say goodbye till next year.

Oh NO - you poor things - you have my sympathy, and I do hope it's very temporary. :-((

We are the lucky ones Spritz. Further north there are reports of blocked roads and accidents. I hope it goes very soon as we seem to have been enduring winter for far too long. I like the changes in the seasons but there does seem to be less good weather and I was surprised to hear the weatherman say it was one of the driest winters on record. We are technically in what is supposed to be Spring but it feels like winter.

There's not a lot I can say except I really hope it doesn't hang around, both for your sake and your garden's. I'm so sorry it's back. :-(

We've got a gale blowing here today, have to keep righting pots:-( but it's sunny:-)

Every cloud has a silver lining Spritz. Both garden and I benefitted from my trip to Aldi yesterday. I bought hundreds of summer flowering bulbs.

Sounds good - I've still got some to plant too. I'm hoping that wind will drop tomorrow - it wasn't easy outside today.

That's good,you'll have a lovely display come the summer then! :-)) I bought some summer flowering bulbs from the 99p shop a couple of weeks ago meaning to put them in pots in the GH on the allotment to bring home to my balcony later. Still haven't got around to planting them though!

I've planted the Tritileia and Crocosmia 'Emily McKenzie', which only leaves C. 'George Davison' to be planted on the stream bank. :-)

We have been away for a week and returned early this am. Everything was shining in the moonlight. Trees of sparkling white and grassy verges also of pristine white. Thank goodness it was only a hard frost but the snow ploughs were out sanding the roads.It must have been a dry day yesterday because we did not see any ice except on top of the huge lakes of water that have transformed fields in to skating rinks. It is a lovely sunny morning but the cold wind would cut you in half. Spring has definitely not arrived here yet.

What a long winter this has been for you - so difficult to cope with. We have blossom everywhere, and Narcissi out too. I know how lucky we are, believe me!

We have just been down in Wiltshire for a week and I enjoyed seeing all the blossom on the trees as we went down through England.

Must have made a huge change for you seeing how much warmer it is down here. You are having a particularly long, hard winter it seems. For us today has been a really splendid warm sunny spring day! Sorry for you though having to put up with so much snow & ice. Spring WILL arrive - one day you can be sure! :-))

It was lovely to have a break from the cold wind and we left 3" of snow on the ground. It has gone but there are strong winds still and they seem to be coming from Siberia. We visited Wood Green Animal Centre last Sunday and where we turn off the A14 there are allotments. As I was driving I could not study what was happening but there was a lot of activity, lots of people seemed to be out and about at 10am. We have a more spring like looking garden with many flowers bravely holding their own. I'm off up to Inverness for a couple of days on Tuesday so I hope there is no more snow before then.