Early Butterflies and other Insects

It was a gorgeous day today so I spent most of it in the garden. Two species of butterfly showed themselves - the brimstone yellow and the tortoise shell. The garden was also full of bees, both bumble and honey. Midges abounded too, although I was not bitten. I hope the pear midge was not among them.

Daffs Galore

With February and the beginning of March so cold, the early daffodils and the late ones are flowering together. They make a wonderfuls spectacle in shades of yellow and white, strapping toughies clustered at the sides and rear of the back garden, dainty fairies on narrow stems with elegant foliage, dwarf tete a tete proliferating at the front of beds and arround the pond. The perfumed jonquils will wait for April as usual.
Daffodils and snowdrops, enduring all the cold and wet that is chucked at them, recovering quickly when struck prostrate by a fierce frost, proliferating by both splitting their bulbs and ripenening their seeds, these must be the best value bulbs in the British garden. All the gardener has to do is stand and admire while taking note of location so as not to dig up dormant clumps by mistake when planting fresh shrubs.