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Today has been the first really warm day for what seems like months. The sun broke through, the wind dropped and the temperature soared to the dizzy heights of 8 or 9C.  A great day to be in garden cutting down dead growth that that served its purpose (be it decorative or protective) through the winter.  

When you do this its a great idea to keep an eye out for Ladybirds that have been sleeping through the winter hidden under dead leaves and stems.  For a start you don't want the squash them or bury them in the compost heap. But more importantly if you have a greenhouse, cold frame or cloche the stronger sun is raising temperatures and the greenfly are beginning to multiple. Placing a couple of ladybirds per cubic metre in these provides a meal for the Ladybirds and helps you keep on top of greenfly before they really get going. 

The other thing I noticed has that weeds are getting going too. Rose Bay Willow Herb (or Fireweed) was a right bother last year: everyone told us how it had run riot.  Now is a great time to pull it up as its roots are still very shallow. 

If you haven't cleared the old growth away from your Hemerocallis you should consider getting on with it. Its now that tiny slugs get to work and nibble away at the new shoots that are starting to grow now whilst they are hidden but the dead leaves from last year.

Some years ago we bought a lovely Centaurea labelled "From Turkey", supposedly a species collected from the wild and introduced to the cultivation by Joe Sharman.  A little while later it was decided that the plant was a cross between two species and it became known as Centaurea triumfettii x montana.  Now this is ok but what happens if another and different cross comes along between the same plants. Talking to Julian Sutton today he tells me that Joe Sharman ha been persuaded to name his cross and from now on it will be Centaurea "Blewit" - a double pun apparently. Joe reckons he "blew it" by allowing people to have plants before he had benefited from its introduction and secondly Centaurea montana is known as the "Mountain Bluet".  Let's make this the last name change please Joe!

The weather has been extra cold this winter but nature has its own clock that ticks on regardless.  Today we saw the first frog in our small pond and the first crocuses opened their shining flowers to the sun.

There is plenty to do in the garden - weeds pulled out, hardy plants should be cut back and many plants can now be dug up and divided. I'd recommend potting up the divisions at this time to plant out in April.

I've been dividing Phlox, Geranium, some of the clump forming Centaurea like glastifolia, Campanula Sarastro, Succisella inflexa today. Its reassuring to see the new growth coming on these plants after such a long, dead winter.