ANNUAL RITUAL

It's becoming an annual ritual. In late January and early February I start thinking that the garden is getting to be too much for me and that we will:
a) have to put more of it into grass
b) get someone in to help
c) move

This is usually followed by a lovely spring day like today, when suddenly I'm out there, tidying up, potting on, spotting the garlic shoots pushing up through the soil, the gooseberry bushes sending out new shoots, harvesting kale, savoy and sprouts, browing seed catalogues and wondering why on earth I imagined I could give it up.

The spouts look a bit scabby, but they are delicious. What's more, there are enough of them to make me and the Professor social outcasts for a few weeks yet.

PS Just checked out my blip from a year ago today and that was my first day's gardening then too! Let's hear it for 11 February - also the birthday of one of my very specially favourite men.