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Today, the sky is clear and the sunshine brings a cheer to the soul, but no warmth for the body – or not that can compete with an icy wind from the Siberian tundra.

Snails hibernating on the outside walls of the Hebridean Woolshed

Too-early primrose. The Big Garden Isle of South Uist

Even so, there’s just a few days left of February, and so Spring is, officially, waiting in the wings.

In the walled garden, crocuses – including those gifted to us last Spring by a generous fellow blogger – are tentatively forming flower buds.

This afternoon we found a young primrose plant that, naïvely relying on the lengthening days as sufficient cue for flowering, was burned and withered by the wind-chill. It will survive and try again in a few weeks, along with the older, wiser primroses – including it’s own parents.

Preparing to re-fit the Hebridean Woolshed sign to the timber boards of the shop’s exterior cladding, we noticed the extended family of snails that habituated to the space behind the sign during the summer, have spent the winter there as well.

One seasonal phenomenon that seems to have taken to the stage somewhat earlier this year, is Homo Sapiens ‘Touristicus’. This year, bookings for our two cottages before Easter are unusually good.

Thus motivated, J and I set about putting our shop, here in the walled garden, into order for the season ahead. Normally we’d be doing this just before Easter, so we’re at least a month early.

However the Hebridean Woolshed 2018 has new heating and lighting, and that might make all the difference. Or are we being naïve, like that primrose? If so, let’s hope we don’t get wind-chilled too!