First Snow Crocus! The snow has all melted away in the garden and when I saw these little gems poking their heads up, I couldn’t resist potting up a clump. They will go back where they came from once finished.

I brought in both Golden Willow branches and Larch branches for forcing. One week later the Willow leaves are showing their fuzzy tips and the Larch needles are also just beginning to emerge.

They are pictured with the Golden Larch stems I brought in last week. These stems are showing signs of rooting before the leaves fully emerge – typical aggressive Willow!

For good measure to fulfil the spring fix, I purchased some Pussy Willow commercially grown in the neighbouring valley. I will not put all of these stems into water so they remain in their fuzzy state for longer but I admit to enjoying watching the silky grey buds develop and begin to shed pollen. There are so many trees and shrubs that produce catkins of one kind or another. Catkins are some of the first flowers of spring, they are male flowers that open to spread pollen on the wind to fertilise the smaller female flowers. These shown below are Salix discolour and they are native to this part of the world. Scrabbling around in wet ditches to cut some, is not as easy for me anymore and I rather prefer to leave them to be admired by other passers by anyway. My conscience feels better for supporting a grower.

I am always reminded at this time of year of the nursery rhymes from childhood and teaching days.

I KNOW A LITTLE PUSSY
I know a little pussy
Her coat is silver gray
She lives down in the meadow
Not very far away.

Though she is a pussy
She’ll never be a cat.
She is a pussy willow.
Now what do you think of that!

…………..and then, there is Little Bo Peep who lost her sheep. They came home bringing their tails behind them, the spring lambs with their little tails represented by ‘the male catkins of Alder or Hazel.

Little Bo-Peep has lost her sheep,
And doesn’t know where to find them;
Leave them alone, and they’ll come home,
Wagging their tails behind them.

I don’t have any Alder catkins to show but Little Bo Peep has made an appearance with our wild, native wild Bighorn Sheep.

Thank you to Cathy of ‘Rambling In The Garden’ for inspiring us all to show off what is blooming in our gardens and in this case, what is blooming beyond the garden gate.

https://ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com/2026/03/09/in-a-vase-on-monday-cheapskate/