Another wet weekend

There's nothing like gardening in the rain. Today we were moving around enough to keep warm, and as everyone sensible was inside it felt like we had the estate to ourselves. Before I knew it I'd spent 5 hours out there, although clomping around in the mud didn't do the lawn any good.

It was one of those satisfying days, where the garden looks happier, and perkier once you're done. We were simply chopping back the old dead woody stems and grasses left over from last year (a task I've been putting off because they look so pretty). I'm good at this sort of pruning because it's really very easy. All you have to do is chop off the dead stuff. I'm not so good at cutting into growing stems on a live plant, and often stand baffled looking at a plant for minutes on end before I pluck up the courage to attack it. I've an entire book dedicated to the dark art of pruning but even having read it cover to cover I still have niggling doubts that I'm doing the right thing. My co-gardener thinks I'm too soft - and she's probably right.

It's for their own good