Edinburgh Spring

Everybody in Britain likes to think they have the  most ornery weather. But I live in Scotland and that means I win this contest hands down. Edinburgh is not a big city but has great variations in climate. Someone can be sitting in sun in Leith and in Morningside there will be snow. And so on. The reason I mention this is that yesterday was a text-book spring day, Leaving the house just before 7am I decided that wellies were an appropriate footwear choice for my journey to work. Around 8am the other side of town sleety snow had begun (continuing for most of the day) but at the same time my husband was in a hailstorm in Fountainbridge on his bike (oh dear) and another friend was astonished by snow on her trip to West Linton. As I left work at 530 I walked through bright sunshine but big surprise - overshadowed by inky grey clouds. Which burst that evening when I was inappropriately attired without coat or umbrella (given the circumstances you wonder why I could make that mistake).

The reason why I have progressed along this tangent is that I am in a permanent state of worry about what has died, but so far the plants are holding their own. Maybe they are strong enough to cope with the short spells of nastiness and maybe the adversity is making them stronger. Who can tell. Well, probably some gardening Yoda somewhere has the answer but that's not me so I am reduced to asking rhetorical questions.

Before work today I took my usual coffee cup tour to see what is coming and going. The fritillaries are becoming frailer and I think they are on the way out. I've been really impressed by these and am definitely planting more in autumn because they are stunners. The bedraggled crone otherwise known as my Acer is giving me the usual spring shock (I always say I'll bin it and then it gives itself a reprieve). Currently it is looking very Japanese with tiny new delicate leaves appearing at regular spacing along the downward facing branches. As is my wont I suddenly decide to re-do the whole garden in an Oriental style - this is short-lived as I know myself too well to aspire to minimalism. Another tree that is looking great is my Eucalyptus. This was in a large pot in the back corner of the garden when we moved in and never really got much attention. After trying to coddle 2 other trees  (pear and olive) to be a centre to my garden I moved the Eucalyptus to the centre and it has thrived. I adore its metallic bark and silvery leaves and if I had a huge garden I'd fill it with millions of them.

Foliage is the big winner at the moment as a gaggle of plants seek to put the barren emptiness of winter behind them. Hostas poke up through the soil, rose leaves are red tipped and glossy and the buddleia's slightly hairy leaves are softly shining with fresh green. Also the forget-me-nots are little stunners, moved from a black plastic pot by the front door where you never noticed them; they are now worthy of notice but still very demure and exquisite.

I am getting excited about lilies and clematis. My family has a great pedigree of appreciation and skill with lilies which I am hoping that I have interited. There is a large pot of big bulbs that I got as a freebie, white lilies at the back and yellow, orange and peach lilies at the front. They are all starting to poke through the ground so let's see what summer brings. Conversely I have never been a major clematis fan and the specimens in my gardens have never really prospered, but this may be about the change. This weird spring seems to really suit them and they are both going great guns to twine them selves about. The one at the back is also promising flowers - tiny greenish-white buds with pink tips are looking to the light and readying themselves for their moment. Aren't we all?