Green Girl Gardener

I’m struggling to type this as my hands are so cold after our return from a nice long (ish) walk around the park this morning, punctuated by a delicious jacket potato from the best spud shop around. Unfortunately it’s closing its doors today until after lockdown – lack of footfall has meant it’s not worth their while to open.

My pictures today are somewhat weighted towards the cold again. I do really hope I can start to share colourful, cheerful pictures again soon, but there’s a severe lack of that at the moment outside in these parts!

I don’t think I’ve shared a photo of the whole garden (or most of it, anyway) for a while, so here it is in all it’s wintry, dormant glory. This is my view all day long at the moment as I sit beavering away at home. I haven’t been into my office since 23rd March and it doesn’t look like I’ll be there any time soon. I have to say though, this is a vast improvement on the building site that was my view for the previous few months in the office, and it’ll only get better as the year goes on.

I’ve come to realise, in all these months working from home, quite how active our garden is. We have all sorts of wildlife making their homes and going about their lives completely regardless of us out there. In the next two photos you can see the evidence of some of the most regular visitors. First up, squirrels.

What dainty little feet they have. They’re incredibly agile – I watch them as they dart along the fences and wind their way around trees chasing the tail in front of them at unbelievable speeds. I know some people consider them vermin (and I guess they are) but I like them. Such cutie pies, even if they do try to dig up my lawn!

Next, I noticed that we’ve quite literally got the cat amongst the pigeons! Well, actually, it could be magpies or jays I guess, looking at the size of the tracks, but that doesn’t work as well so we’ll assume these were pigeons.

When I took this photo I was actually aiming to capture the bird tracks, and it was only once I got back inside that I noticed the pussy cat paws as well. I went back out to try to get a better picture of both, but the snow had melted away and I was left with just blobs! This is probably the first time since I was a child that I’ve actually cursed the snow for melting!

These spider webs were outside my home office window earlier this week. I’m so glad I took the photos straight away because by lunchtime they’d gone! Aren’t they pretty? There was no sign of the tenant!

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I did manage to find some colour to include. I think the berries really ‘pop’ against the snowy backdrop. This shrub was in the garden when we moved in, although it was completely hidden by the jungle that was growing around it until we got ruthless and had the whole lot chopped back. I think it’s a Cotoneaster (can anyone confirm?) This year is the first year I’ve paid much attention to the berries – I’m surprised, given the visitors that we have to our garden, that they’ve not been eaten already.

Finally, I’m moving back inside to warm up but returning to the animal theme! Last night BBC 2 showed an hour long best of 2020 Gardeners’ World episode.

It was so lovely to see Nigel again after he sadly passed away last year. Monty must miss him so, but is hopefully comforted by Nell and little Pattie. Olive was also pleased to see him!

There’s my Six for this week. Don’t forget to check out the Propagator for more. I’m off to have a bath now to warm my bones! Please tell me it’s summer soon!