I Love February For...


... the return to the light

I really struggle with February. It's tucked in right at the end of winter and it's usually remorselessly dull and grey without the brightness of Christmas to cheer it up.

When I commuted to work in Bristol, it was the fourth month in a row when I started out in the dark and returned home in the dark.

And then, right at the end of the month, I'd look out of the train carriage window and realise I could still see things when we were coming into Chippenham.

You have no idea how glad I felt at that moment.

Comments

  1. The seeds have arrived. And the propagator is cleaned out and ready to go. Hurrah!

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    1. Hurrah indeed! On the 15th we'll have 10 hours of light here - one of the things needed for good growing. I'll be getting my heated propagator out then :)

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  2. Even with the rain this winter, the milder weather has brought a few dry patches here in London and it's been warm enough to venture out daily with a coat. I quite like the darker evenings as the streets look all twinkly and I'm able to look up and see the moon or fabulous sunsets - as with the sky in your photo! I've been noticing that dusk is a few minutes later every day and now actively thinking about when to start sowing - and where I'm going to put all my seed trays without having a greenhouse! It will be Chelsea Flower Show before we know it! Are you coming to the London spring shows in a few weeks time?

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    1. Hi Caro, I'm in London a couple of times this month (13th and 26th), but sadly not for the shows :(

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  3. It's getting noticeably lighter in the late afternoons now thankfully. I want it to get lighter in the mornings as I'm always up and about early. Flighty ss

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  4. The birds are waiting for their breakfast when I come down in the morning and I can see them now! Plus more light in the evening, soon it will be spring!

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    1. I'm hearing lots of birds starting to call out there territories Pauline, so things are definitely on the move into spring...

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  5. I am starting to really notice the lighter mornings and evenings - and am always grateful that February is a short month! Like Jessica I now have a clean propagator and a large pile of seeds to help me get through it - some more sunny days would help - but at least the bulbs are starting to poke their heads up.

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    1. The snowdrops have really come on over the weekend here Janet, which is another reason to like February. March is a special month for me, so I'm always grateful February is the shortest month of the year.

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  6. Brighter mornings and evenings, bulbs peeping up, and bubbles in the pond from the fontain, rather than ice - Spring surely IS on it's way!
    e.

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    1. A great list for February, Emma and lovely to see your first comment on this blog too :)

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  7. Still a month or two of snow here but it definitely feels like we've turned the corner for daylight. I heard cardinals and chickadees singing their spring songs last week, too. That helped!

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    1. Oh, I'd love to hear a chickadee! We've got plenty of robins doing a great job here though.

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  8. I'm still enjoying the winter. It's a time of taking it easy! Spring and summer involve a lot of hard work. Right now I'm loving a rest from the outside things.

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    1. Hi CJ - yes, next month will be hard work! Hopefully the rain will subside for a while this month so I can get some of the tidying up done...

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  9. Oh, yes. It's all about the light. And give me February over January any day. So full of promise... as soon as the sun comes out.

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    1. It's odd - I can take January. There's the afterglow of Christmas and I like its newness. And with special events happening in March, it always seems to be getting in my way!

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  10. A most striking sunset in that photo. November is the month that I really struggle to get through, with February following close behind, but at least it's so short and there are snowdrops to count for those who can like you :)

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    Replies
    1. They've really started to come out now, which is great.
      *whispers* it's a sunrise, but who cares, seeing you like it :)

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