Winter honeysuckle

Yet another dreary day, and no sign of any significant sunshine until Tuesday at the earliest. Once again I spent most of the day at the computer, entering and analysing data, but I did have a mooch round the garden where there are certainly signs of spring. 

The snowdrops are in bud, as are the flowers of eastern cyclamen, but there's no sign at all of the winter aconites. The suite of shrubs that provide such wonderful fragrance at this time of year are all in full bloom - Viburnum bodnantense,  Mahonia aquifolium, box-laurel Sarcococca and winter honeysuckle Lonicera x purpusii. This is the last of the three, and despite the cool weather, its scent was quite noticeable. It's also a useful early source of nectar and pollen for bumblebees, some species of which are now active all year round.