Six on Saturday - The last on the last day of the year.

1.  With a small garden, most areas need to have something of interest, and these shrubs can light up with a little low sun. Soon spring bulbs will be on. The old raggedy wall behind, though not beautiful, is still a wall along which the squirrels with their tails held high defiantly proclaim the garden theirs.  Are there any sonic devices out there that really work, in which case please let me know. 

 Cornus sanguinea 'Midwinter Fire'.

2. I had to cover up my pots on the potting table,as  squirrels had attacked a pot of crocus, they did of course try the best ones first! A length of plastic mesh lurking in the bottom of my pot bin came to the rescue of the remaining pots.  A few shoots are starting to show, and to think we shall be able to see some colour in just a matter of a few weeks.

3. A couple of the most advanced pots have been dusted off and been moved to the new shelves.

4. My seed allocation from the Cyclamen Society arrived yesterday, I hope to have a few new graecums, some different hederifoliums,but will be growing intaminatum, mirabile and pseudibericum for the first time. 

I like to look back at notes and find live links on this blog helpful, as it saves me looking through my messy handwritten note books.  Next job on the list is to prepare labels, and search out pots for sowing the seed.

051	Cyclamen graecum subsp. graecum ex CSE	1	004
055	Cyclamen graecum ‘Glyfada’	1	052
056	Cyclamen graecum ‘Rhodopou’	1	53
068	Cyclamen hederifolium ‘Fairy Rings’	1
076	Cyclamen hederifolium ‘Tilebarn Greville’	1	078
091	Cyclamen intaminatum mixed leaves	1	090
099	Cyclamen mirabile ‘Tilebarn Nicholas’	1	097
100	Cyclamen mirabile f. niveum (pure white flowers)	1	09
101	Cyclamen mirabile f. niveum ‘Tilebarn Jan’	1
111	Cyclamen pseudibericum	1

5. Yesterday it was dry enough, ie not pouring with rain, and still 10 C when the light was failing when I came back in from the garden after two hours of pottering.  What a great feeling it is to be outside.  You can't take a picture to describe that feeling! All the storm bedraggled stems and foliage were cut to the ground on the Clematis Bill McKenzie, almost a month earlier compared to last time. Snowdrop noses were observed, as well as other spring beauties, but they have been warned, the worse is still ahead.

6.  Sometimes I am apt to cut back some shrubs in a rather harsh way, Mr S knows that mostly happens with shrubs that are really being considered for 'despatch'.  Maybe it is in the wrong place both visually and also for itself since I am usually totally disappointed with its flowers, but in the midwinter light, it does at least show willing to bounce back and beg a stay of execution.  The jury is still out!

Mahonia Sweet Caress 

There will be reviews no doubt of the past year, and other interesting and witty posts from other SOSers linking into Jim's, I hope you will have time to appreciate your own garden or at least one or two plants, Happy New Year to you all.

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