Winter flowers

Although it is still quite early for a lot of plants to be flowering, there are plants to enjoy. Above is Hellebore Winter Ballet Lulu, recovered after having a snowy hat.

Here is a Hellebore Credale double with just one flower so far, but a beautiful looking pink picotee edge to the petals.

Hellebore Hello Ruby just starting to flower.

Hellebore Ice and Roses Red looking very glamorous.

Cyclamen coum with its silvery leaves and pink buds.

Snowdrops, which really do need dividing this year.  They used to have lots of flowers but these have dwindled so I really need to dig them up, divide and replant them, giving them more room.  Of course, the heat in Summer is not really to their liking, so that won't have helped. 

Three more flowers.

Finally, Hellebore Ericsmithii Winter Sunshine, again flowering but perhaps not quite so happily as in previous years.  It may not have liked the heat either, but may need to be in a bigger pot now.  Lots for me to do when the weather is slightly less wet!

Wintry weather (for the UK)

Like many parts of the UK, we have had some snow.  I know this isn't the depth or duration of snow that other countries get, but here it is becoming more unusual to get any and if we do, everything grinds to a halt, as somehow we are never prepared for it! Above is my new hellebore, bravely flowering away despite the weather.

I took these photos last Monday, at lunchtime, so the snow was beginning to melt (and had gone completely by Wednesday).

Scotland has had much more than we have here. I like looking at the snow, but don't enjoy having to travel anywhere in it. Here is our patio table and some pots of bulbs.

You can just make out a cyclamen coum in bud to the left of the pot and you can see the noses of snowdrops starting to push up - always such a positive sign.

I leave the old foliage of grasses and perennials over winter for any insects.  I will cut the grasses down in February. 

I think the hydrangea flowers look lovely with their snowy hats!  I think we are due some more wintry weather over the coming days as Storm Goretti sweeps in.  I think we will be having heavy rain in this area but this may become snow - we shall see.  In the South of the UK, they are bracing themselves for 80-90 mph winds. I hope people will be sensible and keep safe. 

Happy New Year 2026

(Photos of the London Fireworks last night/this morning from the TV)

Happy New Year and I would like to send you good wishes for 2026. Yet again, the year seems to have gone quickly, so it is time to look forward with plans for 2026 and revisit aims from last year.

(Photos are from my Care December (Green Edition) journal) 

Read interesting books - this has continued and I have read 78 books this year.  Some I have enjoyed were: the Shardlake series by C.L Sansom, A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes, The Garden Against Time by Olivia Laing, Over My Dead Body by Maz Evans, The Mitford Girls by Mary S Lovell and The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer.

Be Creative using what I have - this aim will definitely carry on in 2026 and I have completed my online art journal course, continued my slow drawing online classes and have continued to explore watercolours.  I have also made cards all year, which I enjoy very much.  I have a few sewing projects to do and various book-making projects on the go too, so there won't be any shortage of creativity in 2026.  I have several online classes which I also need to focus on.

Get rid of or donate things I no longer want or need - this has stalled somewhat this year, although I have still been taking the occasional things to the charity shops. I need to get this going again and and really make an impact.  I am going to decide what I wish to keep going forward and what I don't, which is what I did with my books.

Take more notice of nature - I certainly did this while I worked in the garden. Birdsong is such a joy, as is to be able to sit with a cup of tea and enjoy the peace and quiet.  Living in a city, this is not always easy, but early mornings seem to be a good time. We had such a warm Spring and hot Summer, so I perhaps wasn't out there all that much during that time.  I need to purchase another water butt to help with irrigation.  Chris has been busy at the allotment, and we need to work on our plot and get the raised beds in. 

Visit gardens - I have not been anywhere again in 2025 so I would really like to visit some this year. York Gate and Hemingford Grey are still top of my list.    

So, these are my plans for 2026.  I wonder how I will get on?

I hope 2026 will be a more peaceful and a happy one.