Could it be?

This winter has been exceptionally mild ... so far. We have had one cold spell earlier this month and that is it ... so far. It almost doesn't feel like we have had a winter... so far. The last couple of days, have almost matched the hottest February day on record and it feels like spring.  Surely this is good, but it has got me all confused.  The plants all seem to think that is it,  the echeverias are flowering earlier than I have ever seen them. This is echeveria ramillet which still has its water stressed red colour but its flowers are out.

Some of them look better than ever, which is great news at the start of the growing season, this little e. painted thrills hasn't lost anything from last summer and has a couple of offsets forming so is going to need a re-pot.

I love this e. recurvata, it has gone an almost purple colour with all the sun and lack of water.  Can't wait to see the flowers as it is a first for me.

You may have guessed I spent some time outside today doing a quick plant check.  It looks like I am going to have a very busy spring... when it arrives.  Everything needs potting up and if I was lacking space before it is going to much worse when everything is in larger pots. But that is for spring... when it arrives. In the mean time, the plants in the cold frame all survived (well all except for 2 small offsets).  I would normally expect to loose some of the trail plants, or spares, or plants that are simply too small or I didn't have space to give proper protection to.

So what's the problem, no looses, healthy growing plants, the urge to go out plant shopping. You are probably thinking everything is good in the world and from my obsession point of view you are right.  I can feel that rush as I look through on-line sales pages and it takes all my restraint not to click on that tempting Add to cart button. The problem of course is that while I am obsessed my poor OH is not. Normally I can point to all the dead plants (usually spares) as I carry them through the house and say it is one in one out.  This year I can't do that and while I have considered killing some unwanted plants, or looking for dead plants in neighbours gardens and sneaking them in, something tells me she would catch on. It seems if I am going to get my much needed new plants I am going to have to get creative with my ways of sneaking them in.  Not posting here would probably be a good start!

Of course all this may be premature, as the big issue and what is getting me so confused. Is that while it may feel like spring, it is only the end of February and in the  UK the weather seems to has a nasty way of holding something back. So while I figure out ways to sneak plants pasted my OH, I will keep a close eye on the weather forecasts in the hope that this year spring really has started in February.