We're not there, just yet, in my garden (but budding!). Indoors, however, we have managed to cheer up the grey skies with this dazzling little fellow :
Iris.
For all you garden lovers with pale green fingers note:
Any feed high in phosphorus(i.e. fish, bonemeal) is great for flowering plants; but be careful not to overdo it since it inhibits the growth of mycorrhizal fungi (in flower beds) which are essential to keeping the soil climate organic dynamic. Advice is therefore to only use in combination with manure to balance out the nitrogen in that.
Safest to use a pre-mixed general fertiliser (organic please!) with balanced N-P-K levels, in moderation. Bulbs never need that much (they aren't much earthy eaters to begin with). A little top up once they are in full bloom will suffice.
I love Irises! I have a purple cyclamen like this one on my sunny kitchen table that is blooming!
Do you have these in the UK? Isn't that where you told me you live?
Now we're talking "cobalt violet": spectacular colour. We do have them in the UK - although I am not currently living there....I did mention London, you are very attentive!
I used to find cyclamen boring (on my nan's window sill) but then I got this elephant patty-like bulb one day and left it on my mantlepiece not knowing what to do with it: hey presto! THAT's a cyclamen! Soon the most delicate pale wings started to unfurl themselves out of this self-styled "clot of earth". Ever since I've been totally charmed by the cyclamen in all their colours.
That's so neat! Glad you like them also!!