The grass is peeping through!

Well, the thaw seems to have set in & the grass is now beginning to appear.
The birds that have been flocking to the feeders, have greatly diminished, and now we have the old timers such as the blue tits, nuthatch, tree creepers and of course, the ever present woodpeckers.
The starlings, blackbirds & robins must now be enjoying the fresh insects that are to be found under the crackling leaves of the laurel hedges.
I've cut down the bird food by two thirds, so that's eased the budget a bit this week!
I noticed this morning, that the little wild daffodils & snowdrops are appearing, along with some crocuses.
Can't wait for the colors of Spring to appear can you?
Catch you later.

The slow thaw!

Well, the temperatures are starting to rise above freezing.
The snow is thinning, the bushes & hedges are appearing once more and more importantly, the blackbirds, robins, starling, woodpeckers and thrushes have been able to set about scratching a meal from under the greenery once more.
We would like to be able to get the car out after two weeks, the freezer needs filling, some fresh fruit & veg will be more than welcome and we're going to have lunch out for a change.
Roll on the Springtime!

Frozen gardening in France!

I won't call it gardening at the moment, it's more like ice digging.
The ground is really hard frozen, & with temperatures down to minus 20°c, it's hard to imagine what will survive to see the warmth of Spring.
The tete a tete daffodil bulbs were just popping their heads up before we dropped into the depths of an arctic winter. The crocuses, snowdrops, camellias & even the rhododendrons were all in bud or flower. It can't be doing them much good can it?
The deer that crunch over the frozen snow at night, searching for the smallest patch of grazing, are finding very little. I fear that they will make a very easy target for the hunters (chasse) if they are weak & hungry.
So, with no let up in sight for at least the next few days, gardening is on hold here in the Limousin.
Watch this space, Spring must be around the corner surely.
Inkflo