Driving rain for Christmas

Stepping out the back door of Genus HQ last week we were slapped in the face by wind and cold driving rain.  As devotees of performance gardenwear we weren’t going to let this rob us of a productive day in the garden but still decided to choose our jobs wisely.  A recently delivered load of dry logs from the day before were shifted quickly from the driveway to the log store; a clean job that certainly kept us warm.  Next, a gravelled area behind our pond had become a perfect seedbed for some Forget-me-Nots.  Not wanting to miss an opportunity, these were simply lifted out of the gravel with a hand fork and immediately transplanted into the adjacent border to complement the tulips in spring: a classic and beautiful combination.

When the intensity of rain reached its peak we have to admit to retiring to the greenhouses where the remnants of the tomatoes were still in their pots.  The old potting compost was knocked into the nearby compost heaps along with the stems and root systems and a quick push around with the broom tidied up the greenhouse no end.  After lunch and with some warm soup inside us we headed for the north border.  Primarily a shrub border but with a small selection of perennials such as Rudbeckia, Kniphofia, and Crocosmia, these were cut back to make way for mulching in the new year.  As the wind and rain increased, our stamina declined and with red cheeks and numb fingers we decided to call it a day; our last session in the garden before Christmas.  With our wet clothes off and our feet up, a hot chocolate and brandy seemed the perfect end to a productive but challenging day.