There's a Spring in my Step

17th February 2023

I've been thinking!  I've always scoffed at gardeners who claim to enjoy plunging their hands into the soil, getting in touch with the earth, as being akin to tree huggers (what's wrong with tree huggers?). Until recently.

There's never been a month when I haven't spent time in our garden. Until this winter. Heavy snow mid-December, followed by persistent rain, the festive season, a brief hiatus between Christmas and new year when I pruned the climbing roses, sharp prolonged frosts in January and then Covid, kept me off my borders for almost two months. By early February the garden was looking the worse for wear. Patios and paths green and slippery with lichen, overgrown clematis Montana spread across the pergola plunging the Catio into darkness. Fern fronds collapsed, perennial top growth desiccated, dried ornamental grasses strewn all over the show. Instead of relishing my return I felt quite overwhelmed; where to start?