In the garden.

On a rare sunny day, I went outside to take some photo's to record how our garden is looking in January, I never get tired of seeing this view, even with the bench covered, it still looks good.

This side garden I leave every winter, the Salvia hotlips have still green leaves, it does look untidy, but hopefully the wildlife get some benefits from the plants being left not cut back. 

I have only had Hellebores for a few years, but I do love their early blooms, daughter gave me the dark red plant a few years ago for my birthday, the pink plant is the newest and still quite small.  

My pots full of bulbs are springing into life, each big pot has a mixture of bulbs, I am concerned with the brown pot, bottom left, there are snowdrops planted, and as yet no growth, last year the pot was full of flowers.  Bulbs are growing everywhere in the garden, I should get a lovely show of daffs this spring. 

 Last view, this is not pleasing, the fence panels have been destroyed by the wind and rain, all 3 will need replacing, and it will be up to us to pay. For now it can stay like this, neither of us want to interact with our neighbour, no matter how we word a letter (we never speak to her), it will start an argument, which we do not want to participate, we can't just get someone in, as she has in the past upset workmen in our garden. 

Hubby took a bit more off the top of our Magnolia tree, there were lots of knobbly bits at the top of the branches, in Adam Frost book he suggested you cut them off to tidy the tree and allow room for more to grow, the thicker bits I put in my bug section, it's just a small area by the greenhouse, I hope the bugs will move in, and it saves us having to get rid off bits we can't compost, all the other bits were shredded and put in one of my mulch bins. 

Friday was cold, but oh so sunny, the breeze made it feel colder, but an hour outside is always good for the soul, I had very little to do, it's a case of making note what spring bulbs are growing. My shrubs are all looking OK, only time will tell if the cold spell in December has damaged my Fuchsias, but they are all planted in raised beds, so I am hopeful for their survival. Our Olive is looking good, as yet I have not wrapped it, it survived last winter uncovered. We even popped some laundry on the line, the day was that good. Later we walked to our local Co-op for milk and veg, still using hubby's Christmas gift card. 

Today it is again dull, raining and blowing a gale, thank goodness we don't live in an area which floods, it's going to be another day for lights on and crafting.