Happy Gardening New Year!

We have turned a corner - the light is coming back to the northern hemisphere.

I celebrate the Winter Solstice. It's a really special time for me. It's a chance to think about the year that's been and to think about the coming year and especially to think about the earth and how by all working together, in our own small way, we can make a collective difference.

Solstice Alter

The garden is quite bare at the moment. Well on the surface anyway, apart from a few brave plants. My Skimmia which I cut a piece of and bought indoors is looking lovely, adorned by ruby red berries and I have a plant which has been in flower pretty much all year long and is still going strong. I have no idea what it is with its orangey-yellow flower but seems to survive as it is planted against a south facing wall.

I am now planning for the new season of gardening. I bought myself Carol Kleins new book Cook Your Own Veg which is full of wonderful recipes and the most beautiful photographs taken by Howard Sooley. Howard Sooley was a great friend of the late Derek Jarman. He did the photography in Derek's book Derek Jarman's garden, which documents the amazing and beautiful garden which Derek created in the wilds of Dungerness, from its beginnings in 1986 to the last years of his life. I believe that Howard still keeps the wooden house and garden as a memorial to his friend. If I am correct, its somewhere I would love to visit.

I took advantage of Thompson and Morgans offer of free p & p last weekend and ordered my seeds and seed potatoes and garlic. I am going to try planting my garlic in pots and keeping it in the summer house until the spring and planting out then, in the hope that that will give them a fighting chance this year away from the soggy weather.
I have also booked myself and long suffering partner Andy on a day at River Cottage in March entitled Get Growing in Spring. Any excuse to visit River Cottage!

Andy knows of my admiration for the late Geoff Hamilton and so for Christmas bought me his 3 DVD set of Ornamental Kitchen Gardens, Cottage Gardens and Paradise Gardens series. They really are wonderful to watch.

I watched the Christmas edition of Gardeners' World and I have to say that I now heartily endorse Toby Buckland. He really reminds me of Geoff. He and Alyse have a lovely rapour and she is so sweet. I an looking forward to its return in the spring.

It might be really chilly outside but the sun is coming back and the nights will soon be drawing out again - lots to look forward to!

Winter Wreath
Boots snuggled up in his new basket