The Met Office would have us believe that spring started on 1st March, while astronomers say that it starts on the 20th March – the spring equinox. Although it doesn’t seem as if winter has blown out just yet, it’s good to see the back of February with its grey, wet days. In this first week of March, the skies have been blue and the sun has been shining, even if it is still frosty and cold in the morning. Yesterday, I spotted two men in shorts wandering around town, which surely must be one of the first signs of spring.
Here’s five more signs that spring really is on its way.
1 Eggs, eggs and more eggs. Last month I was getting one egg every couple of days from my solitary hen but this month my new hens are laying every day and the ducks have started to lay as well, a sure sign of spring. I shall spare you a photo of the other spring activity of ducks.
2 It gets dark later each day and it seems the lengthening of the days speeds up in March. In December, the ducks come to the kitchen window just after three o’clock demanding that I feed them but now I don’t go out until well after five to shut them away for the night.
3 The primulas in the garden and the primroses on the banks of the ditches around the fields are just starting to flower and soon the banks will be a mass of colour. The snowdrops and crocuses under the apple trees have been flowering for a while and the sunshine has encouraged the first of the daffodils to trumpet their arrival. I’m not a great lover of daffodils. I’d rather see pale yellow primroses or butter yellow cowslips than the vulgar, brassy daffodil.
4 Sunshine streaming through the windows. Morris the fox terrier moves around the house through the day, squeezing himself into the smallest patch of sunshine where it hits the floor. I see the dirt on the windows highlighted by the sunshine and quickly turn away.
5 Catkins dancing in the wind, waiting for their pollen to be blown to a waiting female bud, against a brilliant blue sky.
I’m tiring of winter now and longing for spring. And immensely grateful that we have such distinct seasons.
What about your part of the world? Are you still surrounded by snow or has spring arrived? Maybe you’re slipping into autumn. Do tell.
LIFE IN MUD SPATTERED BOOTS 
As you move to Spring we move towards Autumn. I really love noticing the changing seasons. Do you know the name of that lovely paint colour on the walls in the photo where sun is streaming in? Very similar to something we are thinking of in our snug. Gorgeous googies!
I’m not sure what the paint colour is as it was painted ages ago. Sorry. It would be great in a snug – it always seems very homely when I open the front door.
I’d go with the Equinox definition of spring – much more ancient lore about it. We have cheerful yellow catkins dangling from the curly hazel, bright white snowdrops, glossy leaves on the cyclamens and new pink on the Lenten hellebores. Yes, certainly the harbingers of spring! Love those primroses – so softly yellow and unlike (as you say) brassy yellow daffodils.
I love hellebores but for some reason have never grown them. I must remedy that. Isn’t it lovely that signs of spring are appearing?
I love hellebores. There is also a Welsh superstition attached to them – if grown next to the entrance of your house, it will prevent evil from entering. Even though I don’t subscribe to these sorts of superstitions, it is great fun knowing the folklore attached.
I shall plant them near the back door then – next to the elderflower that keeps witches away 🙂
Hey Anne. Ah reverse here . Few eggs, less light and begging for rain .. Oh it is so dry enjoy your spring ..
All through winter I get my fix of sunshine through blogs like yours. Hope your rain comes soon.
I like the miniature narcissi, tete a tete and smaller, in huge drifts. Unfortunately I inherited way too many of the vulgar type. They are a devil to remove as well.
What a beautiful floor.
The floor didn’t get as much loving care as your study floor! Just rip up the carpet, a quick sanding and then slop on some walnut dye. I’ve stopped dead heading the really large daffs in the hope that they’ll just give up.
Oh, thanks for this! Just the idea that I could see those primroses flourishing in a ditch somewhere brightened my morning. And your eggs are beautiful. I usually only see that color on a robin egg shell!
I find it very pleasing to collect different coloured eggs, which is of course daft as they all taste the same.
Not so daft. It differentiates them and is pleasing to the eye…
That is one thing about the long low winter sun, it literally highlights the cobwebs.. now you have spring sun showing the floor, I also am going to turn my back on the floor, it is going to start to melt today (everything is still covered in about a 3 inch sheet of ice with scrunchy snow on top of it) and then there will be mud and then todays floor will look clean in comparison..but it will be grateful dirt – much love.. c
I love the low winter sun but it does highlight my housekeeping shortcomings. Some days it feels as though I could start a small vegetable patch where we kick off our boots as there’s so much dirt on the floor.
What a week we had! Snow on Tuesday. Frogs back in the pond on Wednesday!
You have frogs. Lucky you.
The cold edge has gone from the air but it’s still blustery and cold – wind is good though as it moves the pollution out to sea so we’ve had gorgeous clear skied the last week. Just waiting for the plane trees to start shooting and I’ll be complaining about how hot it is before too long….
It has been hot and dry here in California. We desperately need rain. I planted some seeds today and hope that I can keep them alive because we are on water restrictions. There is nothing better than farm fresh eggs.
I’ve been reading about California needing rain. Water restrictions must be very tough to live with – we usually have too much rather than not enough.
Am I weird in thinking the eggs are pretty? Such lovely colour shades. It must be heading to Spring for you, as in the opposite hemisphere Autumn has made itself known. The humidity of last week just disappeared, like snap, it’s gone and my hair’s gentle wave & bounce with it… as straight as a die now! Autumn is my favourite season but I’m not looking forward to even the mild Australian east coast winter.
Autumn is my favourite season, but I’m very happy that spring is here. No, I don’t think you’re weird! I love baskets of different coloured eggs. Maybe I’m weird too.
Those eggs are amazing Anne…and that beautiful light on your floor. Do those very dark eggs belong to a chook or a duck?
Autumn is here for us, the mornings have cooled off but the days are still very warm. Clothes are getting peeled off gradually throughout the day. Hence,there are little piles of clothing appearing everywhere that people just seem to drop…perhaps the fairies will pick them up!? Enjoy your spring days.
When you find that clothes picking up fairy, send her over here! I lost one of my jackets for a couple of weeks until I discovered it in a corner of the yard where I’d dropped it. All the eggs were from chooks – I’m only getting boring white eggs from my ducks so I hope my blue egg laying duck will soon start.
A gorgeous blog with gorgeous photos. Wonderful.
Thank you.
we are entering autumn here… days are still lovely, but definitely getting shorter, and the mornings have that crisp nip in the air.
i love your catkin photo.
It’s probably still warmer with you than it is here. I love the autumn air.
Lovely photos and ideas Anne. I grew up on a dairy farm in North Wilts (have lived in Sydney for over 30 years though) and I still miss finding primroses in the hedgerows and crocuses at the edge of the lawn. I can see I will enjoy peeping into your life!
Small world! Primroses are one of the joys of spring.
Hi I am also loving the signs of spring, really enjoying the sunshine we have been having lately and sown lots of seeds for the coming year. Chickens are laying profusely now and look much happier in the sun. Daffodils are all up and many are flowering, although one patch are all blind which is strange? Enjoying following your blog by the way, just found it recently and have cooked your Huffa recipe, delicious!! Cara
Thanks for calling in! I’ve got as far as sorting through my seeds but must remember to actually go out and sow them. Glad the recipe was a success.
Those eggs are things of beauty. And it has occurred to me that the colours in that egg box form one of my favourite colour palettes … white, the palest blue, and soft pale browns.