Pulmonaria 'Cally Hybrid', an excellent soft blue, with rather large flowers.

The garden is now full of colour and interest once more and it was extremely pleasant to be outside weeding this afternoon. Although bulbous plants still dominate the show but there are many herbaceous plants and alpines coming into flower or attractive new growth: this is a selection.

Helleborus 'Penny's Pink': except in full sun I find this a rather dull flower, but it is redeemed by its floriferousness and the beautiful mottled foliage.

Hacquetia epipactis 'Thor'

Saxifraga iranica 'Cumulus' is an easy charmer.

The flowers of Callianthemum anemonoides recline on the ground.

Primula vulgaris 'Taigetos' is a superb recent introduction by Broadleigh Gardens.

The variegated Primula denticulata 'Karryan' has yet to elongate its scapes, so the flowers are still deep in the leaf rosettes.

Striking colour in the emerging shoots of Lunaria rediviva 'Partway White'

The mounds of foliage of Anthriscus sylvestris 'Going for Gold' really need a solid dark  foil to show off to best advantage: perhaps a big-leaved Bergenia would do the trick.

A perfect day for crocuses

The expanded, receptive (and pollinated) stigma of Crocus vernus

A large-flowered, nicely marked C. vernus selection (owner of the stigma above)

Crocus vernus 'Purpureus Grandiflorus' is the classic big purple crocus - a magnificent beast 

Janis Ruksans' selection 'Yalta', possibly a hybrid of C. vernus and C. tommasinianus

A nicely striped hybrid of C. vernus and C. tommasinianus.

Another hybrid - my selection 'Pieta', named for its marbly white exterior.

Most of the C. tommasinianus are on the wane now, but this  pink selection is still looking good.

Crocus malyi: the brown tube makes a nice contrast with the white segments

Cheap and very cheerful, sold as C. sieberi but probably really C. atticus; 'Tricolor' and 'Firefly'

Crocus chrysanthus 'Romance' - a lovely soft yellow.

For many, the colour of spring: Crocus 'Golden Yellow' has been a garden stalwart since the Seventeenth Century.

Snowdrops (and moss) at Austwick Hall

Snowdrops (mostly single and double G. nivalis) in the wood at Austwick Hall

I took the opportunity today to visit my friends Michael Person and Eric Culley at Austwick Hall, on the other side of North Yorkshire. In addition to running the place as a fabulous boutique hotel, they work hard on the gardens, and in the wood above the house they have developed a snowdrops and sculpture trail that I had been keen to see. Last year the weather on the appointed day was uncertain, so I didn't go - a great benefit in fact, as today was beautiful and lovely to be outside in. The snowdrops looked lovely, and are just hanging on for the last day of the opening season tomorrow, but I also greatly enjoyed the verdure of the luxuriant moss covering the woodland floor, and wished I could identify the different species. The wood lies over a limestone pavement and is rich in native species as well as survivors from a Victorian wild garden made here by the Clapham family: sheets of wild daffodils are days away from opening..

Galanthus woronowii flourishing in damp conditions.

Verdant moss over the surface of a now hidden limestone pavement, evidently making the most of a mild wet winter.

There is an extensive patch of the European Petasites albus in the upper part of the wood, a remnant of Victorian planting. Vigorous but nicer than P. japonicus.

Austwick is 85 miles from here by the shortest route. This, however, was not a fast route, and very tedious round the edge of Leeds, so I returned through the heart of the Yorkshire Dales in late afternoon sunshine, which was utterly delightful.

Ingleborough, with a band of snow on the northern face. This is how I like to see snow: distantly, at the top of a high mountain.

A serendipitous finale: Scots Guardsman pulling an excursion train over Ribblehead Viaduct, shortly after I stopped to take a picture of this magnificent structure, built in the 1870s.

Snaps from the RHS show

An outstanding display of reticulata irises from Jacques Amand in the front of the hall at the RHS flower show last Friday, covering both old and new cultivars. Friday is a first for me in my RHS show-going career, but there was certainly a large turn-out later in the day.

Avon Bulbs' snowdrops were the centre of attraction for the many assembled galanthophiles.

Galanthus 'Excelsis' exhibited by Avon Bulbs.

A vibrant display from Broadleigh Gardens covering the whole range of early bulbs.

Rapture

A display of sweet violets was charming - and I don't recall seeing such a stand at the February show before.

Viola 'Pink Czar'

The sumptuous foliage and flowers of Impatiens morsei on Dibleys' stand.

In the Woody Plant Committee meeting we were shown a range of the best new introductions of Hamamelis by Chris Lane - a wonderful assortment, greatly enhancing the options available.

Edgeworthia chrysantha 'Grandiflora' from Exbury, passed round in the meeting: it is strongly and not pleasantly scented. 

Not just snowdrops at Colesbourne Park

Cyclamen coum and Galanthus 'S. Arnott', originally planted together in about 2004. This was a wonderful stock of Cyclamen from a Dutch supplier, superb in colour and extremely vigorous, spreading well and coming true from seed.  

Crocus imperati

Sunday was the best day we've had for months, calm, mild and sunny, with bees out and busy - at the least, an intimation of spring, much needed after the winter's storms. I was fortunate enough to spend it at Colesbourne Park, where the snowdrops were looking better than ever, and the richness of colour possible in the winter garden was very much on show too. It was nice to be back there with no duties, and free to enjoy the garden as a visitor - but with the memories of making it.

The 'spring bling' bed, planted in 2011. Bergenia 'Godfrey Owen' and Yucca 'Color Guard' are conspicuous.

Galanthus nivalis on the lake banks - a genetically diverse, self-sowing population, never forming big clumps.

Galanthus elwesii 'Pat Mason'

Galanthus 'James Backhouse'

Lakeside planting: Cornus sanguinea 'Midwinter Fire'  with reeds and other shrubs: the lake was even bluer than usual.

One of my favourite trees: Acer cappadocicum in the park

The Shaftesbury Snowdrop Festival

To commemorate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee in Shaftesbury, Dorset, a project was launched to plant public spaces in the town with snowdrops. 60,000 were planted in 2012, and the same number last year, with volunteers and schoolchildren helping. These plantings, now getting established and showing their potential, are the foundation of the Shaftesbury Snowdrop Festival. This aims, of course, to bring more visitors to the historic hilltop town out of season, but is also getting the community involved through art displays and the various events organised. The opening day of this year's festival (continuing until 1 March) was yesterday, and was marked by a snowdrop study day and sale. With three speakers, the sale and an excellent lunch, the day was a great success, and we then had chance to see the plantings in the town and a garden nearby. There are the makings of an annual galanthophile fixture here!



Some of the 120,000 snowdrops planted in the past couple of years in Shaftesbury by townsfolk and schoolchildren. They'll soon thicken up.

The snowdrop sale attracted the usual frenzy of interest.

The Bet Lynch of the snowdrop scene: Alan Street pulls on the Avon Bulbs stall.

A pop-up shop selling all sorts of snowdroppy items.

Moira Harries surveys the exhibit of snowdrop-inspired art in the Shaftesbury Art Centre.

Emma Thick explains the fine points of snowdrop identification at the display of named cultivars in the grounds of Shaftesbury Abbey.