Beginnings and Ends

Early start in the garden to dig up the Christmas Tree which has been growing here since we moved in nearly eight years ago. I need to move it, so that I can develop a bed of cordon fruit trees. I am running late with this project, by about four years.

In the end, my intention of bringing the roots with it was abandoned and I had to saw it down. Helena helped me, and she prepared the room for its transformation. I unexpectedly really enjoyed being out in the cold and rain, and carried on with a bit of clearing and gutter cleansing.

I emptied some buckets and found large, beautiful lumps of ice, containing leaves and worms and pockets of air. The usual story. I had to fill a watering can for the house-plants and lifted a stone beside the butt, to find a worm and a slug neatly curled up like Bomble does when he is cold. They seemed perfectly happy in their situation, dormant till spring, until I interfered. Within thirty seconds the worm had disappeared down its hole, where half of its body had being staying.

I also looked in the Growmate greenhouse, which is a pyramidal marvel, designed and manufactured by Helena's uncle near Oban. It had done a wonderful job of protecting the last of the lettuce plants, which despite the recent conditions looked in perfect fettle. I feel a Christmas salad coming on.

Any of these (and I did photograph many of them) would have been a blip contender. But my eye came back to this strawberry runner that hangs down the wall to the patio. This is all voluntary activity, and reminds me of the joys of hanging gardens. It has a series of roots dropping six feet from a container, with at least six separate plant-lets hanging down from each strawberry in a line. It seems much happier than running across the ground to expand its domain. I had meant to cut each of them off and plant them out, but it hasn't happened yet (smacked wrist).

These colours are the most vivid in the garden and stand out proudly from the greys and browns which seem ubiquitous. The little green leaves seem to be quite new shoots, nestling in the protection of the older leaves which are beautifully gradated.

The Christmas tree is now ensconced and hung with treasures and lights by Helena and Bomble. If you feel like having a laugh you could try this latest short clip in the Simon's Cats series HERE.

I do now feel rather more in the mood for festivity, despite the very sad news that another of our Town councillors died last week.

Rest in peace, Cliff.