Spring, springing

Posted by Tania Kindersley.

Here, for a little change of pace, are some photographs of my garden. I realise that I am (true to my calling) rather text-heavy in this blog. Two of my favourite bloggers, the lovely West Coast pair that are Charlie Circus and Miss Whistle, often use photographs in their postings, and I always get tremendously excited when a new one is up and wish I could follow their example. My problem is that I am currently in possession of an exceptionally crappy camera, and despite making heroic efforts to deny my perfectionist streak, I don't much like the idea of showing you horrid substandard snaps. (Even more shameful, I do actually have a good camera, which cost many of my Scottish pounds, but I seem unable to locate the charging cable.)

Today has been a glorious festival of sunshine, and spring is finally going crazy here after a long, bitter winter. Up in the north east of Scotland, we are about a month behind the south - so the horse chestnuts have just come into leaf, the daffodils are only now giving up the ghost, and the blossom is getting into its full pomp. My little garden is beginning to turn into a riot of different greens - the bright acid of the euphorbia, the deep emerald of the elders, the dark olive of the osmanthus. There is a naughty invasion of ground elder, which I am bravely battling, and the lawn is still shaggy from its first post-winter haircut, and my little clumps of lavender, which I planted more in hope than experience, have died a cruel death. The lilac buds are still tightly furled, filled with the promise of flowers to come. But it is starting to look pretty again, and so I feel that a photograph or two is in order, as a salute to the new season.