SIGNS OF SPRING

Tradition has it that St Valentines day is when birds choose their mates and today for the first time this year our Robin sang his spring song,which is much richer and less plaintive than his thin winter warble. There certainly seemed to be excitement in the air today among our feathered visitors
In the lane I noticed that the hawthorn leaves are bursting from the cases and are now showing small sprays of vivid green leaves. In a few days time when they have opened a little more I shall gather some to add to a salad along with a few young dandelion leaves also beginning to grow in small tufts under the hedge.
The willows at the rivers edge are showing the tell tale sign of brightness, the forerunner of the tender green leave soon to follow and the brush wood around the bole of the pollarded limes display fat red buds which will open at the first sign of real warmth.
The parakeets, of which we have a great multitude in this part of London are prospecting for nest holes in the trees at the side of the orchard and occasional fights break out when a pair try to steal a hole that has already been chosen. One of these nest hole is opposite my bedroom window and I have spent some time today watching their antics with great amusement

Knots of primrose leave cover the ground under the orchard trees now and will soon take the place of the crocus who's brave show has brightened the view from the kitchen windows for days .

All this is very hopeful and yet I can not help feeling that winter has not finished with us quite yet. Even so spring is on the march and all the bustle of that lovely season will soon be upon us.
Every year when autumn arrives I feel glad to clean my gardening tools and put them away, as I am by then tired out with all the harvesting, jam, pickle and wine making. Each year in January I feel that I shall not be able to work up the energy and enthusiasm to begin again all the sowing and planting out. As soon as the first fine day of February arrives I feel the customary excitement mounting within me and once again I cannot wait to begin. I have a bag of compost warming indoors so that the tiny seeds will germinate more quickly and I hope to have the tunnel ready in a day or two.
It is hard to resist the call of the garden on such a day as this, the joy I find in growing vegetables, fruit and flowers never fails to return to gladden the lengthening days and the rewards of the hard work are abundant all summer long.
We are still enjoying last summers strawberry crop every time we open a jar of jam and
I am still decorating trifles and pavlova's with last seasons wine berries stored carefully in the freezer along with French beans and raspberries.

I hope the day never dawns when I do not feel this sudden up rush of excitement when spring begins. It has been a part of my life for as long as I can recall and I take my place among the other busy creatures in the garden with a sense of thankfulness which grows greater with each passing year.
I may be less active and less able than in my younger days but in my heart the child, full of wonder at the beauty and magic of it all is still there.....somewhere inside me.