Boing! (and parsnips).

What was that noise? Was it spring, springing? Hmm let's not get too excited just yet. It's not long since temperatures were down to brass monkey-worrying -12 at night and if you listen to the BBC then the predicted drought ahead of us will turn most of Britain into a barren wasteland before Easter. If their wildly exaggerated claims are to be believed then soon the only available water will be the tears of allotment gardeners, which will evaporate before they hit the desert sand beneath our feet.

I went to get some parsnips for my Sunday roast this weekend and ended up very glad I had left them in the ground during the recent cold snap. They were tasting a bit bland up until now, but yesterday's were delicious because the freezing temperatures have turned more of the starch into sugar. Every cloud has a silver lining when you're a gardener.

Other signs of spring include the tips of our new daffodils beginning to emerge; we planted the bulbs quite late in the autumn so they are less well advanced than other examples in the local area. I quite like that, it means they'll last longer. The broccoli is looking promising too, I estimate edible purple tips will be ready in about 3 weeks. With a few extra minutes of daylight and a smattering of sunshine, it's possible to get quite happy at this time of year. Better be careful not to over-do it.