SOUTHSEA GREEN: Do you count your flowers?

  In my own little garden, I found white camellia, blue pulmonaria, primroses, hellebores, blue and white bearded iris, and a lovely red dianthus which had been flowering since last summer. I counted antirrhinum, violet hebe, a single marigold, and purple and white cyclamen.

Again in February I went outside to count and found another pale pink camellia and a single narcissus which I was tempted to bring inside for its beautiful scent, but decided not to and left them outside with a little yellow primula, who has been fighting the strong winds.

I'm hoping the little buds on the shrubs and roses won't get burnt by wind and ice over the next  few weeks.

I'm touring the garden every day now (weather permitting), to see what little green stems are poking up their heads and planning what to plant in the spaces in the spring .

I hope you all enjoy your gardening, even if it's just in pots on a balcony, or in a window box.