Spring days

The garden is really waking up and I've had the big loppers out these last few days cutting back and shaping up. Its a good time of year before the leaves open to take a look at the structure of the garden and decide what needs to be thinned out or pruned. I just love this job, its really satisfying slicing off awkward branches, opening up the borders to let in light and generally tidying though I'm not so keen on the big heap of clippings I now need to burn. I do keep things natural, not for me the square shaped shrubs that seem to appeal to some garden fascists. The man who used to look after my ex-office garden, with help and unheeded direction from me, delighted in cutting hedges several times a year to within an inch of their lives and making every shrub into a perfect square on a stem, regardless of whether it was about to flower or not. He had no interest whatsoever in weeding, dividing or soil improvement.

I found this creature crawling round, I'm not sure what type of caterpillar he is so I gave him the benefit of the doubt, hide him under a broken pot to keep the birds away and he eventually disappeared. I hope he'll survive as it seems quite early for him to be out.

The house is quite springlike too since my hyacinths are finally and fantastically flowering. I bought these locally, they cost less than £1 for 4 bulbs and are perfuming the house better than any overpriced scented candle. I nearly didn't plant any hyacinths this year, these were a late purchase and I really wish I'd bought more as they can be planted in the garden when they finish and will produce flowers on a smaller scale each year. I tied them up with some left over Christmas ribbon, much nicer than string, almost a present.