Easter was late this year with the latest possible date for Easter being April 25. Unlike Christmas, Easter is ‘moveable’, which it can fall on any Sunday between March 22 and April 25, based on the Gregorian calendar. Next year Easter Sunday will be on the 5th April and in 2027 will be 28th March.

But trees are also late into leaf this year. It is probably mainly due to last autumn being unusually warm and wet, which can cause trees to hang on to their leaves, later autumn colours and delayed leaf shedding. The brief cold snap we had recently will have also contributed to ‘lazy leafing up’.

The initial phase of spring growth is always flowers. The flowering parts of trees and shrubs are only included in the resting buds that form in the late summer and early autumn, just prior to leaves dropping. All buds resting over winter require two to three months of chilling to break their inbuilt dormancy and prepare for flowering.

Despite the saying, ‘Ash (in leaf) before the oak only a soak, oak before the ash in for a splash’, ash trees are usually out after the oak. I always recall one elderly man I worked for, indignantly telling me every spring, “I have never seen the ash before the oak’. Indeed, the ash are usually the last trees to leaf up at the end of April, often after other trees have already fully developed their foliage.

Currently the ash and oak are ‘neck and neck’ unfurling their leaves, so maybe we’ll have some ‘balanced’ weather for summer.

I have mentioned that I see March as a yellow month, with daffodils, forsythia and winter hazel boasting golden blooms, then that morphs into a pink time in the garden thanks to flowering camellias, cherry blossom and Ribes and now is definitely blue time. Bluebells and Camassias are providing those stunning, beautiful blue carpets. I am a huge fan of Camassias, and am always perplexed by the fact they don’t seem to be as popular as I think they should be. I’m not sure if the fact they look a little bit exotic makes people think they are hard to grow but they’re amongst the least demanding flowers you can choose for your garden.

Also known as wild hyacinth, Indian hyacinth, quamash or camas, they produce tall spires of blue, (most common) white or occasionally pink star-like flowers in late April, May and early June. Grown from bulbs that are planted in autumn, they come into their own at a time of year when many spring bulbs have finished flowering and early perennials are yet to flower and often when the bluebells have finished their ‘hoorah’.

Camassias can be planted in borders or pots and look particularly good planted with early perennials such as polygonatum (Solomon's Seal) or dicentra (Bleeding Heart). They also look fabulous against the acid yellow of euphorbia or at the base of complimentary-coloured wisteria.

They're also perfect for naturalising in grass and look good growing near a stream or pond and under deciduous trees. Whilst I love them wherever they’re grown, they are always best planted ‘en mass’ for the best effect and will reward you by flowering each year.

Make a note to include them in your shopping basket in the autumn to plant out during September and October. They are so undemanding - and are happy in heavy clay soil, acid, neutral or alkaline soil and full sun or pat shade. Allow the foliage to die back naturally after flowering and divide congested clumps in summer.

C’mon, let’s all celebrate and choose Camassias.