We had snow on the ground icing sugar trees and beautiful blue sky – all very festive. One problem however, I sent my husbeand into the veg plot to pick the frosted sprouts for Christmas dinner, hoping that the frost would have sweetened them as my grandmother said it should. He came back in with a grand total of 3 – not even one each! The plot is rabbit fenced but rats, mice, pigeons etc can get in. I’m not sure which stripped the canes so completely. More success on Boxing Day we had another 20 yews arrive just Christmas week and a warm day allowed them to be dug in with plenty of well rotted garden compost that had been kept dry and frost free by covering with recycled black bags. This is the best compost I have ever managed to make and I’m sure that having three rather than two bins allowing a three year rotation has helped.

Last week I made a mental note to pick some holly before the goldfinches and redwings arrive and strip the berries off in one fell swoop. Friday evening at dusk I saw the first redwing of the season on the common – looked outside the next morning to see an empty holly tree – too late again for me! I have resorted to adding plastic berries inside the house. I have had success planting broad beans in pots – the mice eat the beans before germination if I plant directly in the ground. This year 49/50 have germinated and are almost growing too quickly. A neighbour recomended dipping the beans in parafin before planting to stop them being eaten, but I don’t fancy parafin in the veg plot. I have just purchased another 25 bare rooted yews to reform a hedge that has been strangled over the years by ivy and invading sycamore and ash seedlings – despite being informed repeatedly the we will not live to see a fully grown hedge – the 2 sections already replaced over the last 3 years are growing well. The thermometer has now gone above zero so some planting to do once I have filled the trench with compost.