New year, new secateurs

After a tough cardio session at the gym this morning I rode to town to buy my train ticket for scary grown up visit to London (blog post pending) and came back via the Hulme Community Garden Centre where I bought new secateurs and gardening gloves, but resisted seeds and a lovely tin mug with a bee design. The garden, as you might expect, is looking a bit sorry for itself, but there are a few lonely snowdrops braving the chill. (Mum sent me this the other day, which is beautiful but just reminds me how little space I have for 'displays' or any kind:

)

Despite the bad freezing cold snaps we have had over the last couple of months I found that both the corn salad:

and the rocket were both alive and well:

I pruned back the honeysuckle (just where it's heavy at the top), the miscanthus (right back as Monty says), the dogwood (just to keep it in check), the buddleia and my single rosebush. I am a bit worried about the jasmine, it is very bedraggled, but spring is coming so we will wait and see what else has survived. The plum tree will be joined by lots of colourful friends over the next month or two, they are just poking through:

Stay safe. Be kind. Anticipate the spring.