It is chilly today, and with a thick layer of cloud from one horizon to the other, but nothing in the garden seems intimidated. Birds are singing from before five o’clock in the morning, and nest-building in the trees and hedges, including a magpie which is eyeing up our hazel hedge. I hope it gets discouraged, because there is a colony of sparrows, including tree sparrows, a few dunnocks, three species of tit, some blackbirds and two gardeners who will be very upset if it doesn’t. The only birds not getting down to things are the black-backed gulls who have come back from the coast looking for their nesting site on the roof of an old warehouse, only to find it has been demolished and the site flattened.

The frog activity has become so ardent that it scares the blackbirds off the pond, but there is no spawn yet. There are crocuses, miniature daffodils

and primroses

and I’ve started the first seeds

but the wet winter has played havoc with the herbs. I’ve lost three lavenders, three rosemarys and two santolinas, and the rows of horehound and costmary are not looking at all promising. Improving the drainage is going to be a priority over the next few weeks, and building up the fertility that has leached away in all the rain, but this weekend I’m going to an event in Falkland Stewardship Centre, a Poetry Apothecary Workshop run by Rebecca Sharp, combining the blending of aromatherapy oils with poetry. I saw Rebecca’s exhibition at StAnza, and the workshop should be fascinating.