Emerging from the grief of Winter

  

I watched a blackbird having a bath in the large birdbath yesterday. The sun had melted the ice and he was joyful in his splashing. Soon, he was joined by a flock of sparrows, who surrounded him on the rim of the bath, revelling in the shower the blackbird was providing.

In the borders, the first of the spring bulbs were opening. Drifts of snowdrops that had been buried under the tangle of overgrown shrubs and trees.

Winter Anemone are already bearing big fat buds - promises of the beauty of Spring.

Daffodil shoots have appeared at the base of the buddleia and in the terrace pots.

Despite all this, I was still wrapped in a winter's grief. Hibernating in isolation, having spoken to no-one apart from the grocery delivery man, in over a week.

Along with much of the population, I was running on empty and in need of a recharge.

Today, something changed. I had my first visit from my gardener, Bex. I had been worried about some of the houseplants that need re-potting, for some time. They are looking very sad and beginning to wilt. I have no larger pots, nor any potting compost, so I contacted Bex last week to see if she could help.

Anthurium Andraeanum

She arrived after lunch and began by repotting both palms and the Anthurium Andraeanum, tying up the weak sweet pea stems, and then set to pruning the Dogwood in the garden. We chatted through the open conservatory door and she asked me about my plans for growing fruit and veg this year. I told her I had given up the idea of a fruit tree, but if last year's strawberries began to grow again, I would tend them in their barrel-bag. 

I also mentioned to Bex that I had thought of getting a tomato house as I found the hardening off of last year's crop heavy work. The plot in front of the back of the shed is both sheltered and sunny - an ideal spot for a mini tomato house. Gardeners' world confirmed that one of the best performing tomatoes (for the Gourmet), the Black Cherry, is the one I will re-plant this year, I might also plant the Red Cherry alongside, as the sweetest, most productive tomato tested.

Conversations about what to do with old grow bags - use the compost as mulch on the garden - and when to plant out the sweet peas and lettuces then followed. My mood lightened, despite the overcast skies and cold temperature.  The last two issues of Gardeners' World have come with free packets of seeds. Last month included Echinacea, this month has Sunflowers and seeds for pollinators. I am now looking forward to sowing them later in the year.

Talking to Bex has reminded me that the seasons continue to change, life continues. Although the Spring Equinox isn't until 20th March, the meteorological start of a season is based on the annual temperature cycle and the 12-month calendar. According to this definition, each season begins on the first of a particular month and lasts for three months: Spring begins on March 1. This is a very special date for me;  the date Eamonn and I became a couple in 1969. Already, the daffodils have pushed their shoots above the earth and promise to be in flower to commemorate the day.

There won't be an anniversary tri[ to Southwold this year, thanks to Lockdown3, but there is the birthday Road Trip in October, when I can re-visit our favourite places from the comfort of Levant II.