Spring peers up from beneath the ground

All right, it's officially Spring. I can tell because I have dirt under my fingernails again and a nice tall stack of chickweed and dandelion carcasses scrabbled out from in, around and among the sea of daffys just starting to open. I went out before dawn this morning and it was warm enough to not need a coat, and all the world was filled with birdsong.

I planted a ceanothus this week, gave my lavenders a haircut, placed two fig trees for digging in and checked on my mason bees, who have not quite come out yet. The grasses are springing up beneath the trees in a green surely only seen in heaven, looking delicate as velvet and beautifully uneven in its thick, soft moundings. Everywhere I look the bluebells are putting up leaves, the crocuses are sprinkling their colors through the ferns and pine needles.

I need to get my more mundane vegetables in - the hellebores got its picture taken this morning, the cyclamen was oohed and aaahed at, but did I get the supports propped into place for the humble greenbeans? Try try again.