WORK

Only 6 hours work due to very inclement weather.

FLOWERS

As we have no severe frosts the same flowers as last month are still blooming.

VEGETABLE PATCH

Picking Broccoli and cabbage.

Composting and planning beds for next year. The Henry Doubleday Research Association website has lots of useful information on organic gardening.

WILDLIFE

The usual Garden Birds are returning to the feeders with occassional sightings of the Nuthatch.

Frogs jump out from most beds when tidying up.

A Badger sat startled my neighbour by sitting outside his back door. The problem of it digging up his grass has been solved by an elderly neighbour putting food out - now everyones happy.

GARDEN VISITS

Nora's Garden As my friend Joyce was visiting that day she came with me and everyone was interested in her garden development photos and video when she was interviewed by Stefan Buz. of TV fame about her Peach leaf curl. Nora had prepared a fun flower quiz to tax our brains and take our minds off the atrocious weather.

Nicola's Garden On my way back from London I visited my e-mail friend's garden in Elstree. It was interesting experience having visited her garden website. I enjoyed discussing all the design features and plants and gave me lots of ideas for my own garden.

Eccleston Square Gardens in London was the venue for Roger Philips TV programme a number of years ago called 'The 3000 mile garden'. He corresponded and compared notes with a lady gardener from Maine USA and the diaries were recorded in a book of the same name. As I passed the entrance a lady pushing a wheelbarrow invited me to look round the railinged garden. It was amazingly peaceful to say it was minutes away from Victoria Station surrounded by tasteful Belgravian apartments. I liked the mass planting of purple flowering Liriope with silver leaved Lamium and an unusual fruiting shrub which turned out to be a Spindle tree. There was something for everyone, patio for barbecues, playground for the children, tennis courts for the active and a seat by white barked Birch trees for contemplation. Pity I had just missed seeing Roger.