Frogspawn!

Time flies! It's difficult to believe we have been writing our River Cottage Diary for over 3 years now. I forgot to mention the frogs, and of course that won't do in Spring. Through March our drains were full of constantly croaking frogs. As a result we now have numerous jelly islands of spawn in our drains. We had to rescue it quickly and transfer much of it to our miniature patio ponds as our ducks regard it as caviar. Looking forward to lots of tadpoles in a few weeks. Marsh Marigolds are flowering profusely with their lovely big golden buttercup blooms as well as periwinkles, primrose, daffodils and wood anemones. Cyclamen coum have gone over but the dusky purple hellebore is a picture. We have been noting where the blackthorn is flowering - we shall need sloes in autumn to make more River Cottage Sloe gin - our supply has run out due to popular demand! Slán.