Hellebore

I suffer from Hellebore Envy. Not because I don't have enough hellebores - by any objective standard, I do - but because when I see photos of other people's they always look pristine, whereas all of mine tend to look as though I've wiped my feet on them. Having said that, this one is a rather nice colour, and it was the most spring-like thing I managed to find in the garden today, so that's two points in its favour.

For the record, the weather was dank and bitterly cold, and it barely got light all day. R did some gardening, and went to an unscheduled meeting with a chap from the Highways Agency about the flooding in our lane, but I'm suffering from a joint flare and an attack of the miseries, and I spent almost the whole of the day sulking at my desk. My one notable piece of productivity was to order some wildlife-friendly hedging - which means that I'm at least thinking about the garden, even if I can't summon the enthusiasm to actually be out in it.