A sunny interval

One side-effect of this miserably dull January is that on the rare occasions when the sun does make an appearance, I am astonished to see how high in the sky it has already climbed and how rapidly the days are now lengthening. Last weekend, we enjoyed a brief sunny hour or two and ran around with the camera, revelling in the quality of the light; all the more striking in contrast with the prevailing gloom. Oh, and a Song Thrush was singing at dawn this morning; our first of the year at home, although they seem to have been singing for weeks in more built-up areas, stimulated by the artificial light and warmth. But back to plants. Here are some that caught my eye in the sun on...Sunday!

Bergenia purpurascens 'Irish Crimson'

Daphne bholua 'Jacqueline Postill'

Fatsia polycarpa

Fatsia polycarpa close-up of flower buds

Salix alba var. vitellina 'Britzensis' and snowdrops

Prunus x subhirtella 'Autumnalis Rosea'

Prunus x subhirtella 'Autumnalis Rosea' close-up of flowers

Schefflera rhododendrifolia

Narcissus 'Rijnveld's Early Sensation'

And I even did a bit of gardening; namely tying-in of autumn-fruiting raspberry canes. I know you're supposed to cut them all down to the ground in winter, but I find that if I keep the canes that grew last year, side-shoots grow away strongly in the spring and I get a summer crop as well as the later autumn crop on the brand new canes that only begin growing this year.