February is.....

Daffodils in jugs around the house and making marmalade with Seville oranges



Making something heart shaped for Valentine's Day.



Finally being able to get out into the garden and starting to clear the winter debris.



Seeing the first stirrings of this year's rhubarb.



and deciding which seeds to use for the coming season.



Of course this year things are different as the house is being sold and we don't know if we will be here for spring and summer. So the tidying of the garden is not just for us but for prospective viewers and hopefully (fingers crossed!) buyers who, if we plant the seeds will benefit from the produce.

The weather has been so wonderful this week with days of bright, clear sunshine and evenings of sumptuous red and pink skies. We've been able to have a few ventures into the garden to start clearing up ready for Spring. On Tuesday we drove over to Nottingham to visit friends which was very pleasant and this morning we walked around Trentham Lake and sat at the lakeside cafe with warm cups of coffee - my fingers were freezing as today is considerably colder than the last few- and chatted to a lovely gentleman and his family mainly about photography and the difference between film and digital cameras. I think we all decided that digital was easier and more adaptable but that there was nothing to beat the mood and clarity of black and white photos.

I've been meaning for a while to write a post about one of my hobbies which I've suddenly realised has been affected by my possession and use of a digital camera so much that it is something that I don't do anymore. I'll expand on this in my next post.

A Visit to the Garden Centre

Today, after a much needed trip to the supermarket - the cupboard, fridge and freezer were bare, and even worse we were down to our last four sachets of cat food - we drove out to Bridgemere Garden Centre to buy tomato seeds and compost. Even though it was sunny in Stoke as we drove out towards the Maer hills and through to Woore the mist was swirling across the road. Of course we hit the coffee shop first whilst it was still fairly quiet and then had a wander around the new spring time displays. We hadn't visited since just before Christmas and everything had changed. We also had a walk around the gardens there which, by then, were looking lovely in the bright sunshine.

We bought two types of tomato seeds, the popular Moneymaker and a plum tomato variety called Incas. These are now potted in plastic catering cups with holes drilled in the bottom so we will await the results. The best plants will be nurtured in the conservatory before planting in the green house later on.

We managed to do a little bit of work in the garden after sorting out the seeds and I discovered a daisy on the lawn and a dandelion in one of the beds - both in flower and Paul spotted a Peacock butterfly and noticed rose buds on our yellow rose. In February? I don't expect to see these things until much later. To quote one of my heroes Christopher Hill - 'The World Turned Upside Down' - well it has in our garden anyway.