Mahonia, ma honey!

The garden in winter can be drab and depressing. But when you look, it can often surprise and cheer. Right now, amidst the emerging spring bulbs and hellebores, there are still a few roses and even a hebe in flower. But it's this mahonia that's showing off the most at present. It's a few years old now and used to have a partner, which died sadly. They both struggled under an ancient ash. But it was felled about 18 months ago and there's just so much more light now that the mahonia is gaining strength and beginning to flourish. It may not be the greatest specimen but it certainly adds colour at this time of year.