I have been meaning to follow my garden through the seasons for awhile – January is a good place to start. Due to our topsy-turvy climate this year there are no pretty pictures of fragile blossoms pushing through the snow, though a spell of icy weather has retarded some plants. 
The photo above shows a rather bare garden with my progress in cutting down a 50year old Blue Spruce that lost all its needles a couple of years ago and unfortunately shows no sign of recovery. The best wood will fuel my stove but I’ve decided to shred the brash to use as garden mulch.
January is a difficult month for flowers and I’ve relied on hardy shrubs to bulk up this post. From the start of the year the Mahonia, Jasmine and Virburnum have been in constant bloom. Slowly the Hellebores have come into flower and that’s about it really but I’m hoping things will get going next month. Maybe I should plan ahead for next January with more plantings.
Mahonia Charity
Jasmin nudiflorum.
Viburnum Bodnantense.
Helleborus argutifolius. Corsican Hellebore.
Helleborus sternii
Helleborus purpurascens.
Helleborus niger, Christmas Rose.
I’ve just come in from the garden as the sun sets and starlings congregate in a nearby tree for possibly some murmuration later.
That looks like my kind of gardening – nip out, take a few photos and nip back in pronto.
I agree, no spade work was involved but cutting down that tree is taking a lot of time and energy.
Starlings are very popular these days. Scarce a week goes by without a murmuration appearing on Countryfile or similar programme. But back in the 70s, many towns had campaigns to lessen their numbers and drive them out of built-up areas. They were almost regarded as vermin. Funny how things go round.
Alen
They are a beautiful bird close up but in large numbers in a small garden can be apparently threatening. Despite using a different species I wonder if Hitchcock was to blame.
I’m just glad of any wild life on my patch.
Pretty good for January!!
Mahonias are great for winter colour.