I am happy to feed the birds- although the rooks that descend on my bird feeder and the naughty squirrel who hangs upside down helping himself to the peanuts, do try my patience at times. However, I am much less sanguine when I discover that someone/something has been nibbling the tops off my kale and broccoli seedlings over-night. I thought at first it was a muntjak deer which had jumped the fence, however after dangling lots of computer discs around the place to scare them away, the problem remained. I then discovered on the internet that it was probably a rat- and I have seen one in the garden. So what to do? I don’t want to trap them and have to clear up corpses each morning. I heard that they hate mint and so I have put minty things around the veg, however, they may start to help themselves to the fruit when it is ready. They are also effectively fenced in by the rabbit proof fence. Perhaps I can starve them to death before the fruit comes in. Whatever I do it doesn’t seem very kind. Ideas?

This week it’s all about pink flowers in the garden.

Rhododendron- couldn’t get much pinker.

The pink horse chestnut comes into flower.

By the pond and pergola. Not even sure what it is !

Look like pinks, but the foliage appears coniferous.

We have at least 4 wisteria plants in the garden including a massive white one (Chinese Wisteria’Snow Showers’) on the pergola walkway in the garden. All smell wonderful; the one on the front of the house fills our bedroom (and Jonathan’s) with fragrance when the windows are open. Now I just need to learn how to prune them- especially the white one which has gone mad and is climbing up in to the nearby trees and has also knocked over the pergola upright. I am thinking I may be able to be fairly brutal with it during the dormant phase.

With great skill Ben drove the ride-on mower along the path we have made in the woodland at the end of the garden. The idea is to make the wood accessible all year round so we can go there and see the wild-life. We currently have dead nettles, ground ivy, bluebells, jack-by-the-hedge ( garlic mustard) , stinging nettles, dock and various grasses growing under the trees which are a mix of oak, beech, wild cherry, maple and alder.

It really is Spring here ,even though it has got rather cold lately. The snowdrops and daffodils in the woods have been replaced by bluebells and the blossom is out especially in the orchard. The blossom is starting to indicate which trees are pear and which are apple and there are also cherries and plums I think. Looking forward to being able to tell when the fruits start to form in a few weeks time.