Spring for me begins in late November or early December, depending on the season and my energy levels.
It begins when the last of the years leaves have been cleared from the beds and the grass has had its final cut. In only a few more days the snouts of the emerging daffodils will be damaged- even with the blades set high. Suddenly you can see the snowdrops coming through, and the buds of the early Hellebores are already showing their colours. In the winter flowers deserve to be examined with far more attention than they get in the height of the summer and so often the scent is staggeringly powerful.
Next year no plant will have to be propped up after is has toppled, no slug will have a chance to do any damage and ,however dry it might be, nobody will persuade me that water is a ‘scarce resource’ in England.
Gardening is all about looking forward.
