The flowers that bloom in the spring, tra-la (again)

At this time of year things suddenly gather speed, and there's so much to do it's almost impossible to drag yourself away from the garden to go to work..............not that six hours of digging and weeding and planting and hoeing isn't work of course. It all looks really rather nice. the daffodils have been fantastic, some of the new ones have turned out to be double and are really beautiful, and the new tulips at the front are almost out. Chionodoxa finished but fritillaries out and bluebells on the way, violets and clematis in bloom........we had a very hot weekend which brought everything on really fast, although it's now reverted to the usual chilly winds. I mounted an assault on the winter jasmine at the front and chopped it right down, that bit has always looked a mess and just catches lots of litter and dead leaves, so I've tidied it up and planted some mint in the hope that it will a.) bind the gravel and stop it sliding about and b.) smell nice when we run it over by mistake. It put up quite a fight but I managed to wrestle it into the compost bin eventually and I hope the Council appreciates it. At the back the leeks from Hill House are in the veg bed, the other contingent are still up there so we can have a leek race and see which are ready first..............in the greenhouse are squash, cucumbers, tomatoes (2 varieties), sunflowers, antirhinos, mimulus (first to sprout), courgettes and basils - now moved indoors cos it's too cold. Pink fir apple potatoes are chitting in the downstairs toilet; I have also tidied the shady corner and planted three coreopsis, a variegated aubretia and some lobelias in the perennial bed. Tree peony has grown huge and is preparing to flower, so are the non-tree peonies. And most exciting of all........... WE HAVE TADPOLES!!