Time for the annual ‘what’s in bloom’ count. We’ve had an incredibly long wet spell over the last few weeks, dull leaden skies full of rain – with plenty of strong winds too. The ground is completely sodden and it's almost impossible to work in most of the garden. But it’s also been mild – nothing like the surprisingly early cold of the last two years. So a number of spring-flowering plants – especially shrubs – have been deceived into flowering in October/November/December. As a result, the New Year’s Day list is longer than it has been for the last few years.
At lunchtime, we talked about the major strategic jobs that could be ahead of us this year - the things that really need tackling, and the wish list, things that would be exciting to achieve. The pond is always up for discussion. Should we, could we, turn it into a bog garden but still retain water flow through the rest of the garden? And the main path down the long walk - it's a type of hoggin which looks lovely elsewhere, but the heavy rain too often carries the loose sediment down the walk and has to be cleared up. It perhaps needs a heavier gravel, but it'll have to be good to walk on, and the right colour. Decisions to be taken.
At lunchtime, we talked about the major strategic jobs that could be ahead of us this year - the things that really need tackling, and the wish list, things that would be exciting to achieve. The pond is always up for discussion. Should we, could we, turn it into a bog garden but still retain water flow through the rest of the garden? And the main path down the long walk - it's a type of hoggin which looks lovely elsewhere, but the heavy rain too often carries the loose sediment down the walk and has to be cleared up. It perhaps needs a heavier gravel, but it'll have to be good to walk on, and the right colour. Decisions to be taken.