It may only be mid March but the garden is changing quickly. So much seems to have happened since last weekend and it certainly lifts the spirit.

Joining the snowdrops, daffodils, crocus and hellebores in flower are the Mahonia Japonica with its beautiful sweet perfume. Not everyone likes these, finding the foliage a bit of a dull colour of green, but for me the architectural quality of the leaves and the scent of the clusters of yellow flowers more that make up for it.

Also bursting forth is the chaenomeles with its brilliant red flowers that seem to stay for quite a while and of course later in the year comes the quince fruit.

The berberis have their new coloured leaf and flower buds and the buds are swelling on the Exochorda Bride. Not normally in flower until April and I do not mind waiting, the wait is certainly worthwhile.

The Red Robin is starting to live up to its name with the first red leaves opening to make a statement.

The first flowers are open on the flowering cherry with the promise of a superb display in the next couple of weeks.

The rhubarb has started to grow and I have covered one of the three crowns to force and provide early juicy servings.

In the greenhouse the young tomatoes are still small but coming along nicely. I have sown the courgettes and cucumber seed this weekend which seems to bring summer even closer.

What of the border perennials grown from seed this time last year? The good news is that the Achillea have bulked up nicely and are looking good and healthy. The bergamot are also coming through but the gaillardia are not yet showing. I am never sure of the hardiness of the latter so we will have to wait and see whether they are there under the soil and waiting their moment. Lastly are the lobelia. These are definitely borderline hardy so were lifted, potted and put into the bubble lined greenhouse to overwinter. A few have failed with a mixture of slug damage and grey mould. They are now sitting on the back porch which is open to the air to give a good air flow but are protected from the rain. Although we will still get some frost it should not be as severe as those suffered in December. There are still some good healthy looking specimens that hopefully can be split when the time arrives for planting out.

The garden bird song is definitely getting louder and you will hear no complaint from me. This morning I took a stroll around the garden and stopped to look at the bulbs that are in flower underneath the magnolia. Suddenly I was being serenaded by not one but two robins that showed themselves and flew over to the place where I usually put down food for them. Along with seed I add bread crumbs and crumbled cheese when available. This morning I walked over and put seed down on the stones. Both came out of the hedge to eat before I could move and the male began to feed the female. Of course they put on the performance when I did not have my camera at the ready. Typical!

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