With new enthusiasm I spent some time in the woods at the end of the garden, mainly gathering kindling for the fire and also doing battle with a large bramble that was threatening to overwhelm a very old greengage tree at the edge of the woods.  I am collecting the cuttings in blue recycling box ready to add to my rough makeshift ‘hedge/fence’ once I get going with that in the next few weeks.

 

The snowdrops are really getting going now, although they are not quite at their peak, so more to come I am sure. I am so pleased to see them gradually spreading up the garden and I think this year I will move some more clumps up to the middle garden.

I also noticed at least four ladybirds nesting on the underside of a teasel head.

If ever there was an argument for leaving ‘a mess’ over Winter this is it. In fact when I was clearing the old bean canes a couple of weeks ago I found lots of ladybirds hiding in the crevices and felt bad for demolishing their home. I couldn’t say I was ever the most tidy gardener, but you have to clear up sometimes, and this often means evicting wild-life. I can only comfort myself that there are plenty of other habitats left messily intact.