We’ve had sun, frost and rain but no snow. The temperature has touched the high teens and plumbed the below zeros. There’s a lot of green and brown, and white but little colour yet.
The lawn has had a last cut, before the mower goes in for its annual service and the beds prepped for the upcoming cold snaps.
Some work has begun on restyling the two beds at the end of the lawn. One has had a small wooden fence to corral Vicky in her summer peregrinations which I’ve removed. We are looking at rehoming her in a local tortoise sanctuary when she emerges from hibernation as the growth in fox numbers has seen her attacked. She’s safe while we are around to right her if they tip her and occasionally minister to any cuts where they’ve managed to get past her shell but she’s old and we don’t think this exposure is fair, especially as we take no steps to discourage the foxes. Mitcham zoo, on Mitcham Common has a home for reptiles and they seem an ideal match. If we go ahead then the remodelling will not require the wooden fence. So a decision is needed soon. The foxes, as well as Dog are still around of course.
Oh yes, Dog…
TanGental 
Your garden looks better in January than others do in June! How wonderful for Vicky to have such loving guardians. And Dog, well, he will always have my heart.
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And he yours! Yes, it’s none too bad. And we’ve still to finalize about Vicky but we are coming to the view it is best.
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Do you know how old Vicky is?
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at least 60 and maybe nearer 70. She was handed to Linda’s friend’s mum in the 1950/early 60s when she was the local RSPCA rep in Kingston in West London
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She deserves a nice restful place away from pesky foxes then! Wouldn’t it be marvellous to be able to discuss her life with her!
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It would involve a lot of lettuce
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It’s essenshell.
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We may have snowdrops but I’m not going out there to look
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stay wrapped until the boiler is reprieved
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Hi Geoff! I enjoyed looking at these pictures of your grounds and garden! We’ve had nearly zero degree temps, then temps near 60 and no snow so far except for a little dusting right before Christmas. I love that fox – it’s a good-looking one. I always keep my eye out for them – such fun to spot. Hope you are doing well!
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I am Barb and happy to read your reading exploits. The weather ha been pretty daft, all things considered.
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We’re in agreement!
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For how long have you had Vicky? It must be weird to not have her around anymore. However, I understand that you give her into that shelter for her own safety and to have a calm time in her last years.
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we’ve had her 23 years nearly and our friends 40 plus years before that; it’s not settled yet – we have until March when she emerges from hibernation to confirm (and persuade the kids that the answer doesn’t lie with me moving my computer table into the garden to watch her all day)
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I hear you, Geoff. Not easy but there needs to be a reasonable solution. My daughter had guinea pigs. When she stopped caring well for them, I took over and we built them an enclosure in the garden. Inevitably, one day, one died. The other one was heartbroken and we bought another one. Finally, they went a long well, then the second one died (I was heartbroken), and again, we bought a buddy for the one left. They got a long so well from day one on. But only a year later, the third died, and we decided to bring the fourth one to the shelter… again, I was heartbroken, but it was necessare or the story would never end.
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Looks about the same as NorCal. Our foxes are even the same.
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Maybe you didn’t declare independence after all
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Snowdrops!!! I need to hit a few local gardens and parks to see if we have any yet. It’s likely, given the warmth. Your lawn is a continued source of amazement to me. So green in January. I hope Vicky will be happy. It’s too bad about the foxes going after her. It looks as though you have some Hellebores coming on as well. Nice to have this reminder of life at midwinter.
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Yes the hellebores – why ‘bores’, I wonder; they always seem chipper to me – are perky though the camellias are a touch slow with only that white one perking through yet.
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My spring garden should look half as nice as your winter garden. So jealous!
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Aw, no need. If you realise that, horticulturally I married above myself, you’ll understand.
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Ooooooh noooo, not Vicky! The story of how you got her is quite lovely but the foxes are not – although I think l they are pretty cute otherwise. Perhaps it is time to let her go. Sad yes, but school children all around will get to share in the tortoise that is Vicky so that should make you feel a little better. š
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That’s the hope. I need to do bit more checking first, though.
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šš
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Nice for Vicky to have a new, safer home, in her old age.
Pretty winter garden!
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Still trying to decide in truth..I dreamt last night that she was sold into some sort of reptilian hell. I need to check out the zoo…
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Getting beat upon by the local hoolies would be a bit stressful for the old gal. The idea of relocating your writing desk does have merit though. š
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Just now at minus several would be a challenge but in the summer in the shade of the silver birches it could be rather delightful, if just a touch restrictive.
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Beautiful! The green lawn looks like spring.
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I know. Iāve spoken to it and told it to go to bed, but will it listen? Just when you think itās asleep there it is, asking for another glass of waterā¦
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Hahaha!!
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