Happy New Year

And let us hope that 2008 will be better than 2007. Maybe our federal government will take climate change seriously instead of telling us only what is possible now, ?and give us some inspiration to be better than we are.?

If you live in any area were it’s beyond winter wonderland, get out there and bang snow off trees and shrubs, it’s heavy and wet and will cause a huge amount of damage. ?I dread getting dressed. After a lovely quiet NYE (watching Fred and Ginger dance their hearts out and the new year in), to have to rouse myself into action ?and get cold is a perfect drag

A good whacking time out in the garden, however, has left me with cold feet and a heavy heart. Under the beauty of the snow is a layer of slush, in some parts of the garden it’s black ice; others have spaces that aren’t even frozen. ?I’m envisioning a lot of damage. ?The important thing is to keep going back out there every few hours and give the plants a hand. ?

I know that all personal lists are pointless so I retreat to thoughts about the garden: ? much safer and in many ways more interesting because there, at least, I know what I’m doing. Sort of. ?One should never get arrogant about gardening. Just when you think you have the hang of it, someone comes along with new information that makes you feel like you missed the boat.

But I have made lists and lists of things to get done. ?Top of the list: ?looking after the garden better than ever. So there I’ve started already. I might actually leave the garden alone this year. I had huge plans to move big stuff around. Maybe just give them all a good rest. ?A year of excellent maintenance never hurt any garden. ?

If I can keep the restless side of me from making grandiose plans under control, the garden will not suffer even though I’ll get impatient. But this is the New Year?s Day and one of the best parties of the year is coming up this afternoon at one of my favourite gardener?s: Alison Gordon. Alas it will be the first year when June Callwood won?t be there. She showed up last year, valiant as ever and spoke to everyone, she was saying goodbye. What a great dame. We all miss her so much.

So here?s to a better 2008.