This morning winter announced her arrival in dramatic style as the wind blast through the valley. The composter is full to brimming with leaves caught in her wake. Gentle investigation of the soil beneath the leaf-carpet revealed the tips of the snowdrops being encouraged by the warmth. Most of our trees are now almost bare, this week's fierce winds having stripped them of leaves. We have cleared the debris from the base of the hellebors to allow the air to circulate under their old leaves where the flower buds are developing to flower after christmas. Together with the snowdrops these are the garden's first gifts of the New Year.
When the wind is nipping at our fingers there is nothing nicer than retreating to the kitchen to make sloe gin, medlar jelly & apple chutney.
