Hamamelis x intermedia 'Pallida' - 2010

I love this plant !

Lovely and really shines out against that backdrop, lifts your spirits when plants and shrubs come into flower especially on grey days.....

Lincslass - yes, it does stand out doesn't it? If you look at any picture of my back garden, it is at the far end of the long vista so it's visible from the house

It will be interesting to see how the flowering dates of other shrubs compare with last year.... I have some plants which seem to have survived the winter better than last year... and a few which have not done so well....

I'm wondering, if, despite the cold weather this year... we had more chilly winds the previous winter ?

So far, the temperatures here have not dropped as low as last winter (-4C as against -8C in Feb 2009) but there is still plenty of time left for more arctic blasts

Thanks for those cheery words ;o)

Its lovely Andrew

So lovely ... this colour would stand out so well.

The arctic blast has just arrived! no sign of a let up.

That's lovely! I have just been out to monitor the Cornus Mas and there is definitely a hint of yellow on the buds! I'm hoping that as it's sunny today, we might be blessed with blossoms in the not too distant future!

That's very interesting that it's a full month later. I've noticed my snowdrops are a couple of weeks behind. They're fully up now, but the flowers havn't really opened out - still at the teardrop stage. Also the Narcissus 'February Gold' is not showing any sign of flowering anytime soon. Don't think they'll be in flower in February this year at all, which is a first. Viburnum x bod. has also not really flowered this winter - plenty of buds, but all tightly closed.

Yes, I'm not surprised, everything here is also very very late. It just shows what effect a cold winter has doesn't it! After all, it's been midwinter since early December and we still have Feb and March to go! Thank goodness for greenhouse and conservatory!