Hedgerow Happy

How's this for an early morning, mid winter sky? There's nowhere like Wellington on a good day. And there's nothing that promises spring like bud-studded twigs. These are almonds, and I'm hopeful things will get very nutty at this end of the hedgerow in a few months.

The low-growing, orange glowing Japonica aka quince. This is the colour of bridesmaids' dresses in the 60s, and I love it. Especially gorgeous against that cyan sky. Loads more flowers on this plant this year, so perhaps we'll have some mini-quinces to eat in summer.

More nuttiness potential on the hazelnuts -- or filberts as they're also called. They should have called the new prince Filbert; it's cute and regal all at once. I'm not up to speed on the anatomy and physiology of hazelnuts, and I have no idea what these catkin things are for... maybe they are flowers making pollen for future nuts? I'll just go out and check that theory... Yes, the're full of pollen. But how they turn into hazelnuts, I don't know. Must keep a close eye on them and see what happens.

Instead of spreading themselves wantonly down the hill with the nuts and vines, spreading the love, the hellebores  have clumped resolutely together like cliquey schoolgirls. Come to think of it, they're freckly like schoolgirls too. And their tutus get more frilly and frou-frou every year. This year though, the fashion has shifted from pretty blossom pink to a more sophisticated creamy yellow pink. I approve. I just wish they'd widen their circles a bit. I did sprinkle last year's seeds all along the hedgerow. Maybe they take longer than one year to flower? Maybe I pulled them up thinking they were weeds. Maybe I should have raised the seeds in the glass house so I could keep an eye on them.

There's a handful of violas popping up ahead of the leaves, shining pinky blue (violet?) in the sun, and looking very pleased with themselves.

Even the stunted gooseberry at the top corner of the hedgerow is bursting into life this year. But man those spikes are brutal. I don't mind if this bush doesn't grow any taller than its current eight inches, but I would love it to grow me a handful of tart gooseberries to cook into a sugary pulp and eat with whipped cream. Yum.

And finally, not strictly in the hedgerow, but a close neighbour and current star of the front garden is madame Daphne. She has so many clusters of flowers this year I can't resist sticking my head right inside and whiffing my nose full of orangey pineapple scent. It's just the thing in winter -- a quick trip to the tropics with Daphne.

There's so much delightful growing going on out there, in spite of the cold weather, short days, and storms. The days are getting ever-so-slightly longer, the Kings Seeds catalogue arrived in the mail earlier in the week, and I can feel a touch of spring fever coming on.

Prince Filbert has such a nice ring to it. Maybe I'll send them a telegram.