Gardener Christina Clowser works beside a carpet of crocuses in the gardens of the National Trust's Ham House in London, where milder temperatures have coaxed 120,000 Ruby Giant crocuses into bloom, creating a sea of purple on the lawn. On Monday Prime Minister Boris Johnson, while outlining the steps out of lockdown, said: "The crocus of hope is poking through the frost and spring is on its way both literally and metaphorically". Picture date: Tuesday February 23, 2021.