January '24 coming to an end.

You'll be joining the Joyless January club, like some of us, Eileen.
Apologies to some who have a different opinion.
Your garden is looking pretty, loving all the blooms. I've hellebore envy! I've only 2 pale ones in bloom, the others need shaking awake! My aconites, albeit a tiny batch, will be much later, yours, look so cheerful. Your snowdrop variety is a pretty one too. My Daphne has buds on, it's one I bought from you during covid.
I'm sorry you've a leak in your pond liner, it's going to be a labour of love come the fine weather for you.
My cyclamen flowered this time last year, bit then reflowered in autumn. Leaves look healthy but no sign of flowers.

Funnily enough it isn't me, but the girls and Steve,that all suffer from SAD. None of my side of the family suffer. But most of Steve's do.

Is the Daphne D. mezereum, flowers on leafless stems in March? It is one of my favourites. Though I lost the parent plant a couple of years ago.

It's easy to be negative and focus on things like bleakness but you have lots of plants showing some growth and that's wonderful isn't it ...
I think the early flowers, the slowly lengthening days and looking ahead to spring (as well as all that Christmas nonsense out of the way) cancel out the bleakness :)

Lovely Hellebores & the days are definitely getting longer,
5pm & not yet dark :-)

A lovely display of early flowers Seaburn.
I have white hellebores at the moment and must get round to putting a picture on.
I love your Daphne and unfortunately mine is looking very sad!

Lovely to see the flowers in your garden, SBG! Seeing your Hellebores has made me think about getting some for the balcony as well. As I've been growing mostly bedding plants for winter/spring & summer for the last 20+ years on the balcony I never had space for permanent plants. But now that I've mostly stop doing that I'm thinking of getting a few permanent plants for the few pots I have.

What a lot of colour you have in your garden, Sbg, and your fish are looking happy too. I am sure many of us breathe a sigh of relief when January is over, the daylight hours are noticeably stretching out and there are signs of Nature emerging from her Winter hibernation. I spent this afternoon shuffling along the border with walking stick, secateurs, loppers and a manageable small bin so that I could prune the hydrangea petiolaris back below the windowsill before it takes off and encroaches on the windows. It was lovely to be outside pottering again. I was amazed to see rose leaves unfurling in a sunny spot on Old Amersham High Street last Sunday too, they had been pruned well and were looking very happy. Mine will have to wait a couple of weeks or so before they get such TLC.!