Solitude......

Another sunny day gave me the chance to work in the garden again. I love my own company and am by nature quite solitary.........

Being alone in the garden gives me time to be at one with nature. To see the changes each day, never knowing who might visit........

The robin is never far away.....he has become a firm friend.......his sweet serenade never fails to move me. Just look how colourful he is......isn't he a handsome little chap........

I am preparing the soil for my golden hops. Mr P is in the process of making two obelisks for them to climb. They will be large structures.......sited either side of the pathway, that takes you to the spring garden.

This is an area that the blue tits enjoy. It is very secluded.

I know I will always find them there.

Weeding is on the agenda for tomorrow.......although it is chilly, another sunny day is forecast........long may it last.........

Warmth of the sun.....

After two days of rain the sun eventually came out. The little bit of warmth was so welcome......

As I walked the garden I could feel the sap rising.......my head tells me it is January......

but my heart tells me that spring is around the corner. I have itchy fingers......

I need to be doing.........

I had a few projects that I could do today.........it was good to be out in the fresh air and amongst the plants......

I cleared some of the debris that had accumulated in some of the beds......

The dogwoods need coppicing, but that can wait until another day. I love the lime green of this one.

The ivy in the copse has grown well. Mr P has put an arch up for it to ramble over.

I shall let it do its own thing for a while and then when the time is right I will clip it.

If you go through the arch it takes you to this little pathway. I have mulched it today with bark. Foxgloves, ferns and pulmonaria will cover the end of the path in springtime......

Snowdrops......
and daffs are showing all over the garden now......

In other areas of the garden Skimmia Japonica and Hellebores are ready to burst.......

Whilst some of the Mahonias have finished flowering, others are just getting ready to open. So useful for the bees if they appear in this warmer spell.....

Hey Gail, look, see that little tiny bit of yellow.....I think my witch hazel is going to bloom in the not too distant future.......

Rosa rugosa is showing a little too early........but you cannot stop nature doing its own thing.....can you?

The greenhouse has been cleaned inside. I am going to use it a lot more this year.

I have collected lots of seeds from the garden and have been given some to. Magazines also offer free seeds so I have more than enough to be going on with.

Mum and Dad are going to come and help. I have noticed that they are both lacking motivation....and I could feel them sliding away. I have asked them would they like to help and they jumped at the chance. I think we are going to have way to many plants for the garden, so I have decided to sell some at the front gate. I shall get Dad a comfortable chair and a sun hat.....he will enjoy sitting by the gate and chatting to people who stop to buy. I think it will be a bit of fun for us all. I have a lot of projects for this year, so I may not be able to post as often as I would like. Be sure that I will visit your blogs when I am able.

I am looking forward to working in my garden this year.........are you??

Wonderment.........

I watch Poppi.......was I ever that small.......it seems the blink of an eye brought me into the adult world. She studies one area for many minutes........a wasp has died, her sharp eyes found it. She sees the little things.

Fascinated I watch her move around the copse.........carefully putting food on the ground for the birds.

She hides some underneath the logs, so that the shy birds may find the seed......

Her tiny hands gently giving..........

lost in her own little world.......a world full of wonder.........

Always finding time to stop a moment, to look and learn.......

If a child is to keep alive her inborn sense of wonder without any such gift from the fairies, she needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with her the joy, excitement, and mystery of the world we live in.

I still have the child in me, do you?

Looking Back.....

I thought I would take you for a walk today.......hope you are not too busy for a stroll.....perhaps a bit of fresh air will do you good. When we arrived here seven years ago this area was grassland. In my mind I had a vision. I wanted to create a mini woodland. It needed to have native and evergreen trees for the birds. Plenty of flowering shrubs for the bees. Also planting on the woodland floor for small creatures to run through or hide. The plants were so small when I started, I was never really sure whether my dream would materialise. As it happens it has gone way beyond my expectations.

This arch has ivy and Clematis montana mayleen growing over it. In the spring, the bronze coloured foliage will be covered in masses of pink flowers. The beautiful fragrance will hit you as you walk through the arch.

The woodland floor has much growing...and logs have been partially buried for stag beetles.....they are extremely rare here and only found in southern UK. So I live in hope. Ferns and Skimmia Japonica are doing well.

Hey, come and have a look at this. Now this is one of my favourite plants, Epimedium stellulatum. Small starry white flowers with bold yellow beaks will appear in early spring. This has done really well and has carpeted some areas......Oh joy.......

Primroses are dotted here and there, taking the eye forward........

to other more exciting blooms. Yes snowdrops are appearing slowly.....one here, one there......oh such joy.........

At the back of this area is some horrible mesh fencing. I have ivy, honeysuckle, and the lovely Clematis Armandii. growing through it...........this vigorous climber will produce fragrant white flowers in bold clusters in early spring. Slowly, very slowly, the plants are taking over and the fence is becoming a distant memory. Oh double joy.......

Holly, I love holly, I have planted both male and female here. There will be many berries for the birds in this area.......

I have many Cherry Laurel planted. The reason, I love them. They give wonderful coverage, plenty for birds to hide in. In late spring they produce spikes of white flowers (the fragrance of almonds).....my bees love them.......and the blooms will be followed by black fruits. Honestly could you ask more of a plant?

Bamboo have done well to. The plants are around three metres high now. Although they are not a useful wildlife plant I like the shadows they cast along the woodland walkway. I love shadow.....

There are far too many plants shrubs and trees in this area to show you them all. It has been a joy watching this area develope. I know every little bit of it, each and every petal, each expected bloom. I am slowly giving this garden back to wildlife. With great pressure being put on the countryside, changing farming methods etc....our precious wildlife is dwindling. Gardening methods also have an effect. The perfect blooms seem to have priority over a caterpillar feeding on its host plant. I can truthfully say I do not spray, not even with approved organic substances. My garden, I feel, is now balanced.....nature takes care of the problems......I am just the gardener who tends this plot.........oh triple joy!!!!

One little bloom......

I love snowdrops. I would have a garden full of them if I could. Large drifts sweeping across the lawn. I love their fragility........their tiny white and green blooms.......

and today I found one.....sitting alone in the grass......tucked away......I nearly passed it by. What a pleasant surprise..........my steps became lighter. It made me think of spring. It made me smile...........

Do little things make you smile????

Sweet Song Thrush.............

The earth has been frozen for days.........

The song thrush suffers badly during harsh winters..........they are ground feeders.

She takes snails from my garden during the summer months........

Many of my plants grew well this year because of her.......I feed her three times a day.....she needs much help at this time........

Feed well, my friend, you have another cold night ahead.........

Winter........R.Southey.

Though now no more the musing ear
Delights to listen to the breeze,

That lingers o'er the greenwood shade,

I love thee, winter, well.

The green moss shines with icy glare

The long grass bends its spear-like form

And lovely is the silvery scene,

When faint the sunbeams smile.

Stay warm and have a lovely weekend..............