Natures Time Clock Marches On

In January the temperature in our garden can swing from -4C to 18C within the course of four hours. Usually when I take Adam to the bus at 7am there is a sharp frost and a temperature of -3/-4, by midday it can be 18 C and quite sweltering.

I have been noticing that there is a great deal of consistency in the way that the sun moves across the garden and the roof of the pergola at the pool acts as an instant time check. i.e. 8am white all over, 9am, 1/4 clear, 10 am 1/2 clear, by 11 there is just a quarter of the roof still frosted and by 12 it is totally clear. When I look up from my labours I know when it is time to prepare lunch just by glancing at the roof.

By now the garden is starting to show signs of life, first buds, some flowers, still the odd rose that bloomed in September and has made it through the cold months. In the next month there will be a rush to dig over the veg patch, clip ivy, trim trees and give a general fertilise to the shrubs. Then we can look forward to April when we start to use the pool again, the top comes off the jeep and the grass needs cutting twice a week.