Despite still sniffling with my first cold in nearly 2 years, the ridiculously spring-like weather drew me to the garden and the raking of the fallen leaves ...... and when you've got an oak tree as large as I have then that's a lot of leaves. It also gave me a opportunity to check the lawn mower was still working as I use it for shredding; the theory being that the leaves rot down quicker for mulching.

This time last year I was counting the number of so-called hardy perennials that had succumbed in the arctic conditions. This year, thanks to a mere handful of frosty nights (so far), I've got forget-me-nots in bloom since before Christmas, the crocus are beginning to open out and I just know that the slugs and snails are girding their loins ready to devour anything green and succulent that I want to keep. Why don't they like dandelions??