20th January

We were out in the garden again, with the boys churning up the sodden lawn by the playhouse and me sieving compost.  I have put down a compost mulch on nearly half of the border and it certainly makes it look better – it covers up the soil that has so many stones on the top of it. You always get that, no matter how much you remove them or cover with compost or other top dressing. It’s those worms taking down the good stuff that exposes them, I think, that plus the rain effect. I noticed one solitary crocus in colour – a bright orange one whose leaves are still wrapped up, but there is a little flame of colour there.