Was it dead?

No just resting.

I was a little bit worried because of history. Now I readily admit I am no gardener. If I plant something and it grows good luck to it. It grew in spite of me.
Some years back now I went with Jane up to see the old family place below Cadbury Camp rings. A little plot had been settled in, on a 99 year lease from the Court Estate. It is marked on the Tickenham Tithe Map as "Marys garden" Mary in this instance being my G.G.G. Grandmother. 

They had amongst other things grown some Bullace trees. An example of a cottagers plum before the famous Victoria plums were ever thought of. These had thrown out suckers and I decided to dig one up and take it back for my sister to have in her garden. 

It grew well and when my sister had to move into a nursing home I thought it would be best to dig it out and put it in my gravel patch. There it stood the shift, and flowered. No setting of the flowers though and for several years now it has flowered and never shown a plum afterwards.

This year there was no sign of any flower buds or leaves to be seen in the beginning of March. Now this was unusual because it normally blooms in the early part of the month and sometimes even in February.

Ah well I thought to myself, so it's decided to die on me after all.

Then last week I was surprised to see little green pips showing on some of the branches.

Late because of the cold snap that made our spring a bit chilly.

Following on were some lighter blobs betokening flower buds. The flowers always bloom before the leaf buds open out.

Now the buds have been open for about a week the leaves are busy sprouting out.

Not only that but a Damson seed stone that I optimistically pushed into a pot has at last burst out.

Will it survive to be planted in the gravel patch? Only time can tell.