Resisting the urge

Today we had some reasonably good weather with bright sunshine and it is possible to feel the warmth in the sun once you shelter from the chilly breeze. Yesterday was the complete opposite with a mixture of rain, sleet and snow, with some snowflakes the size of tea plates, but fortunately it didn't settle.
This is the first year I can remember a 'proper winter' for at least twenty years. Hopefully a lot of garden pests will not re-appear in the spring because it will have been much too cold for them to survive, especially the migrant pests that have been heading here from the continent with the climatic changes of the last few years.
Now that the days are a little bit longer, the garden centre nearby has got a whole lot of new plants in including bare rooted roses and other perennial shrubs. I have been very tempted to go and investigate but have resisted the temptation so far. However, my resolve will weaken and my curiosity will get the better of me especially when I hear them call my name as I walk past, then I really must go to have a look to see what's on offer for this spring.
I still have some pruning and clearing up of dead foliage which I tend to leave to protect the plants from frost, so I don't usually start getting active in the garden until the beginning of next month. When the sun shines though, it is very difficult to restrain myself and resist the overwhelming desire to go out and get stuck in, but I have to in order to prevent disappointment.
In the past, I have made the mistake of starting things too soon in the garden, only for the weather to turn very wintry again which has put a stop on the development of the plants or killed them off altogether. This year I will again follow the old saying - if you drop your trousers and sit on the soil and find it too cold, then it is not the time to start planting!