Sue Baines

Getting out and clearing up all the soggy debris was quite a novelty after so much rain. A lot of the leaves had been blown into corners, and so even a little tidying had a big impact. It’s time to take stock of any damage that may have been done.

Do look at any big trees in the vicinity. Are there branches hanging? Could a bit of work done now save a tree? Save a life? The last storms were really damaging, and our chainsaw which Geoff had serviced before the first storm, saw a fair bit of action.

The autumn planted bulbs are starting to show through. Popping the containers on feet/bricks, has kept them well-drained (crucial this year). The spring bulb range is starting to appear in garden centres and shops now. I still have a few empty pots, and am determined to have colour in a visible spot from now on.

I love the mini daffs, scented hyacinths, snowdrops, aconites, Iris reticulata and anemone blanda, to name just a few. I plan to ‘impulse buy’ little pots of bulbs, planting them into the same big pot. As they finish I will take them out and plant them round the house, replacing them with the next spring bulbs that are just about to flower.

I will keep a few of my favourite evergreen plants such as Carex Evergold (variegated evergreen grass), Skimmia Magic Marlot (new variegated form) and the black grass Ophiopogon, which sets off the blooms beautifully. Hopefully whatever weather is in store, there will always be a promise of spring.