Everyone suddenly burst out singing;
And I was filled with such delight
As prisoned birds must find in freedom,
Winging wildly across the white
Orchards and dark-green fields; on – on – and out of sight.
When the page turned and we headed into 2020 and a new decade, what was I thinking? How mild it was? How much digging I had to do still?
I might have looked forward to a bit of skiing, but there was a lot to do in the garden, despite the weather
And then March turned a corner. The weather began to be glorious. Really unbelievably delightful…
It felt like the spring would be joyous, if this continued. Even the lawns might improve.
What would April have in store?
There is a price to pay for so much sunshine; we’re not set up for it.
So we roll into the summer; the beds I dug out are now full of colour and a sprinkling of rain perks all of us up a little
July and a mini Glast-no-bury took place in the garden..
and the flowers just did their thing
The tiredness, maybe exhaustion, becomes apparent as August leads into September
Yet still we have a lot to be grateful for
Autumn is also a time for those jobs that will pay dividends next year, when we host a wedding….
The weather begins to change, the cold air burns off some of the colour and the clear up leads to some fun times for a happy pyromaniac
And there we are. December. A new shed, a repainted summer house and more flooding….
It’s been a totally unique year, hasn’t it? For reasons none of us who survive will ever forget. But the garden is a great way to stand back for this clusterfuck of a year and think about Siegfried Sassoon’s poem which I started with. ‘Everybody Sang’ was written at the Armistice in 1918 at the end of WW1 and just as the flu pandemic was taking hold. They had been through seven shades of shit and still had more to come but it’s in our nature to sing, to see corners, not as hiders of dangers but as places to turn and see a brighter future.
We will sing; we will be those freed prisoned birds winging wildly again. And the garden will bloom and grow and shrink and on and on.
Hold that thought. It’s what makes us human.
Happy New Year from one man (channeling his inner turkey) and Dog
TanGental 
Happy new year, Dear His Geoffleship 🥰🥰🥰
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Happy New Year to you, dog and the family!! Love your positive post!
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What a lovely post, Geoff. The garden looks lovely all year, in spite of the innundations!
Happy New Year.
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Thank you for all the hard work you put into your garden so that you can share the glorious photographs with us! Happy New Year. 😀
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Thanks for the entertainment and for thought-provoking posts throughout the year.
Very best wishes for 2021 to all x
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Happy New Year (again), Geoff.
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What a lovely review of your garden throughout the year, Geoff! Have a great New Year’s Eve.
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Wonderful pictures of the garden Geoff. We have plans….. and a lot of work……… for ours, which is sadly waterlogged at the moment. Happy New Year to you and your family.
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Love your review in photos; happy new year!
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Geoff, that may be one of the most beautiful gardens I’ve ever seen in a private yard. Gorgeous and you have groomed it to perfection. Thanks for sharing your month by month rundown. If all we looked at were pictures like this, one would think nothing was amiss in the world. 🙂 Please share a link to this post in #WQWWC 5 “New Beginnings.” Along with your commentary, this post fits the topic beautifully. https://adayinthebrine.wordpress.com/2020/12/30/the-journey-is-a-state-of-mind-guest-hosting-for-wqwwc-5-new-beginnings/
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Happy New Year! ❤
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Thank you sweet wonder. Dog sends a lick
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A great year in the garden, Geoff, it’s much better to be in the garden than on Zoom. That I can guarantee you. Happy New Year.
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Yep here’s to that
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Happy New Year and looking forward to more of your blog posts in 2021.
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Your garden was more beautiful than most of 2020. But where was the snow??
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Not seen a flake for a couple of years…
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Wow.
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Siegfried Sassoon’s poem which you started with. ‘Everybody Sang’ was written at the Armistice in 1918 at the end of WW1. That went well didn’t it so no singing please. I have had enough of clusterfuck years thank you.
The garden looks beautiful. Happy, Healthy and Safe 2021 to you all 💜💜 all the best for the lawyers wedding 😘
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The trouble with hope is sometimes expectations get ahead of themselves
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Yes that’s so true 🤞
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Well, I maybe won’t sing for the good of all around me – but I agree with the general sentiment!
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Ok. We should form an online silent choir.
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We do keep singing, don’t we!? Happy New Year!
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And you Rebecca!!
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Absolutely wonderful pictures of your lovely garden. Happy New Year, Geoff.
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Thank you Jennie
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You’re welcome, Geoff.
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P.S. Bursting into song is a delightful thing to do!
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I know… I’ve seen your posts!!
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😀
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Your garden is magnificent throughout the year. What a lot of work!
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It’s kept me off the streets.
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That’s a good thing. 🙂
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