At long last, after enduring the ravages of winter, spring has arrived – and some shrubs are showing their flowers, writes Pat Edwards.

Some have flowered rather half-heartedly through the winter, like the japanese quince which is trained onto the front of the house.

See larger pictures in our gallery below.

Mine is a really bright red colour, but flowers come in pink or white as well.

At the end of the year it produces quinces which can be used for making jelly – delicious served with lamb.

They do best on an east facing wall but will also grow into a rather straggly bush.

One of the earliest shrubs to emerge is corylopsis, which is very welcome, although sometimes catches the frost and goes brown.

It is a really bright yellow, and well worth viewing when it displays the flowers – even if they do get spoilt at times.

There are quite a few varieties, but all produce the same bright yellow.

It is in the same family as the hamamelis, but does not flower in the winter.

The daphne mezereum is in flower now and has sweetly scented flowers in a puce pink colour.

It also has a white type, which is the one I grow. The seeds always go on to produce white flowers.

It produces a mass of seeds which grow easily.

This is just as well, because it often turns up its toes and dies for no apparent reason, so it is advisable to have some seedlings in reserve.

Forsythia is a wonderful shrub, which blooms early. It does not get frosted, letting us know that spring has arrived.

Weekender is a good variety and is a good one to force into flower a bit early.

If the branches are brought into a warm house they will come out quite soon and last in a vase for a long time.

It is worth cheating just a little with this one.

The flowering currant will also force well, so a vase of pink currant and yellow forsythia will cheer you up in the house early in the year.

Another shrub which tries hard to flower all winter is the coronilla, with pretty yellow flowers that really come out well at this time of year.

Planted in a sheltered spot, it will usually have a few flowers out all the time, but really goes to town in the spring.By Pat Edwards