it's begining to look like spring.

they aren't quite this fuzzy in real life (this camera doesn't seem to handle closeups well) - but those are wisteria buds.  i will swear last weekend it was just dead-looking sticks - but this morning, it is covered in buds.  another day or two, and i will have flowers.

finally a warm sunny _weekend_ day, so i spent some time cleaning out pots, and even planting a few - purple carrots, radishes, dwarf runner beans and some pansies.  last weekend i did start a whole mess of things in peat pots, and a fair number of those are up - the zinnias came up first and are already a couple of inches tall, the sweet peas followed closely after, and it looks like most of the cherry tomatoes (i am going to try them in a strawberry pot this year, so started 7 pots).  Still awaiting the nicotinia, evening primrose and lemon grass, along with some other veggies - 'mr. stripy' tomatoes, burgundy okra, a summer courgette which i guess is similar to pumpkin if you let it get large enough (if you buy seeds from an english company, you get 'courgette', rather than mere squash), and some italian frying peppers.  still some other things to plant - some more flowers, some lettuce and tuscan kale - hopefully next week, when i get the other pots cleaned out.