THE first day of spring has come and gone.

Clocks have advanced, and the Welsh blood in me delights in the gently swaying golden daffodils, for as one, they trumpet their appreciation as they are touched by the soft warm caress courtesy of the spring sunshine.

This time of year is truly one of great expectations. Nature is astir.

The dawn chorus is in evidence as new life begins to explode all around us.

Take pleasure and enjoy the beatific full moon above, so clear, floating in the sea of darkness. The glistening silver frost enhanced by the morning sun encouraging the early birds foraging for that fat juicy worm. Listen out for the shrill warning cry of the blackbird alerting other oiseaux to the feline predator on the prowl.

The sap truly is on the rise. Bus are emerging. The wide assortment of bulbs pushing up and flexing their dormant muscles, peeping through the soil, and blinking in readiness for another season of colourful growth.

The expectation of much new life excites the gardener in me at this time of year. Will the tomatoes and the runner beans be as good as last year?

Then there are the flowers. The fragile beauty of the gorgeous red of the poppies will soon alert us to their presence as they mingle in the hedgerows and gardens as well as the farmers fields, where the sight of distant poppies are a delight to the eye as they rub shoulders with the pish crops.

Here in dear old Andover we are so fortunate to be surrounded by an abundance of idyllic olde worlde villages that, as the year progresses, are in themselves huge baskets of spring, summer and autumn hues all displaying a well stocked multicoloured kaleidoscope of head-turning beauty.

Soon nature will paint the golden sunbeams that will enhance the thousands of colourful blooms that will be on show and attracting the butterflies, the peacocks, and the red admirals that flicker on fragile wings.

The dull, dark, dank days of winter have slowly distanced themselves and left the stage clear for Mother Natures’ richly assembled tapestry to unfold and enchant us all once again.

We are in for a fantastic springtime show, so hold onto your seats as the curtain is about to rise.

John ‘Nature Boy’ Porter, Millway Road, Andover