In my optimistic fashion I have decided that it really won’t be long before spring is here. The snowdrops are out, I’d forgotten that I’d divided up a lot last year and now they are popping up all over the garden. Later on there should also be a good display of cowslips which have been happily self-seeding, I’ve transplanted quite a lot to the new woodland area. Daffodils are also beginning to peep through, again I planted a lot of new ones in the autumn.

My motivation to get on with some potting has been encouraged by the fact that it looks like we shall be supplying plants to a third National Trust property. I must be mad, this year was supposed to be the one when I started to take it a little easier. So in the last few days I have been busy at the potting bench (Philip made it years ago and it is very sturdy) with the radio on and the cat at my feet. Today (after I got back from the dentists) I dug up a clump of Polemonium ‘Hannah Bilcliffe’ and a clump of Sisyrinchium ‘Quaint and Queer’ and gradually split them up and potted them into small pots initially. Once they have rooted they will be transplanted into larger pots ready for sale probably by May.

I hear on the news today that the south-east has officially been classed as a drought area. In the midlands it still hasn’t rained as much as it normally does and our pond is about 8 inches below the overflow pipe.How about the government spending money on a national water grid rather than a high speed rail link?