In message ,
Roger Tonkin writes
Couldn't miss the opportunity to spend a sunny, but cold afternoon in
the garden. Ground too wet for digging so I decided to cut down the
autumn fruiting raspberry canes. What a surprise, there were some green
ones about 4ft high, with buds in them that must have shot very late in
the autumn and continued grow. Also a couple of shoots about 9inches,
which are obviously this years, and several shoots just appearing at the
base. Not sure what they'll make of the current cold weather, the ice on
the bird feeder water has not melted at all today.

I also noticed that the leaf buds at the top of the hydrangea shoots are
emerging.

Walking along the River Wye this morning (in the fog!) there were masses
of snowdrops out.

I found Crocus tomasinanus and Crocus vernus and Galanthus nivalis out
at one of the local country parks today.

Other things seen flowering were between here and there Erysimum (both
the usual bedding wallflowers and one of the yellow perennial types)
Aurinia saxatilis, Antirrhinum majus, a Hebe ('Pagei'?), Geum urbanum
(wood avens), Heracleum sphondylium (hogweed), Pulmonaria ('Redstart'?),
Silene dioica (red campion) and Erophila verna agg. (whitlow grass).
Also Helleborus foetidus and Viburnum x bodnantense but perhaps I'm
supposed to be seeing them flowering at the moment.

I noticed Viburnum tinus in flower a week or so ago.

I wonder what else I'll find.

--
Stewart Robert Hinsley