Snowdrop progress and a blue sky

 As yesterday was such a beautiful day, I thought I would go out and check on the snowdrops.  There was sunshine and a lovely blue sky (something we haven't seen too much of this dull and grey winter).

 Definite progress made now, but still not open flowers.

 I think they were all from my Mum's garden.  They are quite tall with large flowers, but I don't know the variety.

 Nearly open...just a bit more sunshine needed, I think.

Again, I'm not sure which variety this is.  I did have some galanthus elwesii, but that has thicker leaves than this one.  As I have said many times before, snowdrops are one of my favourite plants.  Their delicate and elegant form belies their toughness.

New Year optimism

I was having a wander round the garden today, making the most of the winter sunshine and blue sky and I felt quite optimistic on seeing all the plant growth.  I know we are not through winter yet and I am sure that we shall be getting snow, but I enjoyed the moment.  Above are some crocuses, planted in a pot with alliums and narcissus.

There really was a blue sky today.

 The first signs of some snowdrops.

 The curled buds of sedum leaves, waiting for the warmer weather.

 Magnolia 'Susan' with the start of fluffy buds against the blue sky.

 Winter flowering jasmine, giving a cheerful and much appreciated splash of yellow.

 The yellow echoed in an early primrose.

Even Scruffy made the most of the mild day and observed me while I looked at my plants, also keeping an ear out for birds or marauding cats.  Days like this, after all the grey, dull, wet weather are such a tonic!
(My optimism nearly didn't last as today's post almost didn't happen due to Blogger not letting me upload any photos for some reason.  I then saw that Liz from Shortbread and Ginger had exactly the same problem, had posted about it and had been advised to change to Google Chrome as it seemed to be a problem with Internet Explorer.  I used Google Chrome for this post and the photos have uploaded as usual, so thank you to Liz!)

Autumn sun

 We have been so lucky yesterday and today as we have had sunshine and the bluest of blue skies.  The combination of Helianthus Lemon Queen against the blue sky never fails to lift my spirits.  This year in particular, the Helianthus has been fantastic.

 I watched a plane leaving a vapour trail.

 Magnolia Lilifolia Susan's yellowing leaves looked beautiful against the blue.  I don't think even a Mediterranean sky could beat ours today.

 The butterflies, bees, wasps and other insects were also enjoying both the sunshine and the ivy flowers.  Ivy can be a thug and trying to keep it under control is a never-ending process, but it does have the benefit that insects love the flowers and birds love the berries.  I saw Red Admirals...

...and I was really pleased that this Comma butterfly stayed still long enough for me to take a photo.

The sky has lightened up now and clouds have interrupted the clear blue, but what a beautiful couple of mornings.

Hello to Lynne Mackay - welcome to Feltabulous.

Magnolia

Having a walk around the garden, I couldn't help noticing the furry magnolia buds which were framed beautifully against the brilliant blue sky. It was a cold morning, but with the sun out, you could almost be fooled into thinking it was Spring...almost.

The magnolia buds are a positive sign because although they are tightly wrapped against the cold at the moment, they hold the promise of unfurling into the beautiful scented flowers in a month or so. I love to see the garden gradually starting to wake up.