The first spring flowers

Heavenly to be surrounded by flowers again. This year, the hellebores have really bulked up, and where we have remembered to remove the leaves in the winter, the plants look very healthy and flourishing. Before we pick, we check that the stems are ripe and woody at the base, to give us good vase life. The tulips seem a little short this year, but I think that we always have this worry at the very beginning of the growing season, and they always come up tall and strong eventually. The little chickens, who have been keeping a low profile through the winter months and only making an appearance at the start of each working day to ask for corn, are now very interested in whatever we are doing, and they are finding lots of worms. The tiny cockerel is suddenly very protective of his females, who have begun to lay eggs again in odd little corners - a good stash was found when we moved the garden tractor to start the mowing. We’ve been picking the amelanchier blossom, which makes a magical avenue around our break time benches at this time of the year. Seedlings are coming on, mulch is being laid down thickly, and the first tall things - Coral Charm peonies and white sweet rocket - are being staked. Happy busy days.