Winter survivors

The disappearance of the snow aside, there are no dramatic changes - the beds aren't awash with blooms (unfortunately!) but the plants within them are noticeably swelling - as if drawing breath before the rush of spring.
I'm particularly pleased to see the green shoots of marjoram poking up amongst the twigs of last years' growth. Mortared-and-pestled into a paste with olive oil, smoked paprika and garlic it's my favourite flavouring for roast chicken (rubbed over and pushed under the skin before cooking) it has a savoury tang second to none. The fleshy green leaves of foxglove are a picture of vitality and there are zesty green flower-buds forming on the euphorbias. Even the trees are making an effort. The swelling buds on the branches have given them a new hue - just like the trees along the roadside my birch is positively purple and my beech tree has a rosy glow.
The garden is full of mini-miracles. Yes, there have been casualties of the cold but amongst them, the survivors have that glad-to-be-alive look that makes me feel - well glad to be alive too. One of the most spectacular is my Melianthus major. Planted with its back against a warmth-trapping wall it's grown to eight feet producing the most amazing flowers. They form in spikes -the glossy garnet colour of a Thai red curry. Then as they go to seed they're replaced by spherical green pods in Granny Smith green. Stunning! And best of all amongst the beaten and battered foliage I've just spotted this year's buds still as tight as clenched fists but there all the same. I shouldn't get too excited as the thing to do would be to chop all the beaten tops including the flower buds down leaving just the new growth at the base (this keeps the whole plant tidy). But the flowers are so good I'll leave a few of the taller spikes and hope new leaves will break from the woody stems. Fingers crossed!