A year in the garden - January

All of last year my poor garden was sadly neglected. Not totally abandoned but I certainly didn't put as much time and effort into it as it really needs, or, if I am honest, I really need. So, here's the plan - every month or so I am going to take you on a little tour so that together we can see how the garden grows and develops. I am going to try to get out there as often as I can and see if it doesn't do us both good.

I am afraid we have had a string of dark and gloomy days here so the pics aren't great, but these were snapped on 1 January without any preliminary tidying or titivating to show you the reality of the start of the year. The grass needs cutting because it has been so warm, and the wind has strewn things about a bit. Anyway, here we go...

This is the view as you enter the garden. The central path runs right up to the garden gate. 

Working our way up the right hand side: This little area contains a lovely cherry tree which I am reluctant to lose but otherwise has no real purpose. One day I will work out what to do with it. In the mean time we will wrestle with the lower branches of the cherry every time we need to mow.

This bed currently contains gooseberries which I have already moved once but which I am planning to move again. The pesky thorns are in the way.

This has ambitions to be a small herbaceous border in front of our little terrace which is one area of the garden that works well and I love. The borders need some time and energy to remove all the boring stuff that under-performs and add some more goodies.

We built the terrace in what I think must have been the remains of an old greenhouse. It gets lots of sun and has some great climbers that scramble up the posts and along the ropes.

This is the veg patch which needs seriously sorting out and reorganising. I have already started since I took this pic. Today I moved the rhubarb and dug some crowns up to give away. I also forked over some of the little beds and removed a bucket full of potatoes and carrots that we never got round to harvesting. I think they are mostly salvageable and they are awaiting my attention in the kitchen.

Now going up the left hand side we have a grassy area with a north facing wall that used to be covered in ivy, which was great, until it brought the wall down. I need to sort out what I am going to do with the whole strip along this wall to soften it and introduce some much needed interest.

This is the utility area with the fab compost bins built by my friend who looked after the garden when we were in St Helena. We need to keep a space for a bonfire and access to the bins but I would love to add a greenhouse or a shed up here.

Now we are looking back down the garden towards the house.

The last two pics are of the very bleak looking front garden, which had just been tidied. It gathers a lot of litter which I have to go out and collect up. Mostly due to the wind, although even the recent storms can't blow glass bottles around...

Hopefully next month there will be improvements and even signs of life from snowdrops and other spring things. 

xx