Spring is on the way

It was beautifully sunny this morning (though now it is windy and raining) so I went out to do some tidying up around the garden. It is still cold, but the first snowdrops have opened so I feel that spring is just around the corner.

There are several clumps of snowdrops in the garden, but this one by the front door gets more sun than the others and it flowers first.  I don't think the snowdrops really like the conditions I can give them - I planted them years ago and they don't increase much, but they come up faithfully every year.

In fact, the snowdrops are not the first flowers of the year in my garden. I have a little arabis plant that has been flowering for weeks now. But the flowers are small and unobtrusive, and don't seem such a hopeful sign as the snowdrops.

Arabis ferdinandi-coburgi

There are some crocuses in bud, too that will be opening soon.  But I planted lots more that I can't find any sign of. Either something has eaten them or I can't remember where I put them, I suppose.