What you can do to raise your spirits.

This week has been a testing time .

The snow melted and then came back last night.

Gardeners still have resources to raise their spirts.

Indoors I have an amaryllis waiting to open.

Hyacinths add colour and scent.

Today I had coffee with friends. We turned our conversation to “Gardens we have visited”.

This lead to Gardens we would like to visit this year.

When I returned home a new copy of The Gardener lay on the mat.

All these are useful while the snow melts.

Then we can turn our thoughts to planning another year in the garden.

Is there a new trend in weather and planting?

Of course we don’t know the answer to this yet.

We can look back at last year and think what we can plant this year.

Indeed this is what horticultural specialist are doing.

In my notebook June and July were very wet. The roses looked beautiful.

Holyhocks were also at their best.

In late Summer the weather was sunny .

Plants thrived .

I visited three gardens in the first week in September throughout the Midlands. All

looked stunning.

The Summer and Autumn led to massive plant growth.

The mild Autumn and Winter has meant that hellebores are flowering now.

Cyclamens also add colour.

Instead of becoming anxious about changes in the weather it may be better to make a note of the

weather throughout the year and what plants do best.

Get those notebooks out!

This is the motto of the Isle Of Wight.

If you venture out into the garden you can see this for yourself.

On the Island I saw Leucojum and daisies in flower.

In the New Forset a friend’s geranium flowers had been eaten by the local deer.

In my garden the Hellebores are super.

Hamamelis Mollis is making a wonderful display of yellow flowers.

Then there is Winter Flowering Honetysuckle.

What more could anybody want?

Just a few bulbs in flower to complete the beautiful January display.

It brings joy to anybody who is willing have a look.