The ground wasn’t frozen, but was fairly firm and dry when I took a couple of logs down to the plot, along with some big pieces of bark from Christine. Still several more in the garage to transport.

The pond level was a bit low, but I couldn’t see any puncture, so I’ve filled it up with water from the butts. It would be nice to think it’ll hold. The iris has started to send out new shoots and I’ve tidied up a bit of grass and nettle from the fence line. I need the sun to shine through the water before I attempt to get the paddle stone that’s slipped in there. That front ledge just slopes downwards to the water. I might see if I can get some little wedges under the stones to stop them sliding.

The logs under the bird feeder had been cast asunder, as if something big had been chasing something, or rooting around under the logs. I’ve placed some log circles under the feeder for me to stand on and then put the logs around them, leaving space for the bear’s breeches and bulbs that are coming up. I might need to replace them with some heavier pieces as I imagine the logs won’t stay in place long.

There are signs of a number of bulbs coming up in the woodland bed. I think the fatter ones with the collars could be my new snowdrops. One of the lungwort looks a bit trampled, but the other two have flower buds and look pretty good.

I thought the hellebore had been destroyed in the log mess, but I found a leaf attached to a little root ball, which I’ve planted into a pot (with some of my compost) with a foxglove that was already self-sown in there.

We’ve had some properly cold days recently, with frosty mornings. I took a log and my bag of pine needles down to the plot and it was nice and easy to walk down the frozen path. The gate was frozen shut, but only needed a shove. The shed door unlocked easily, but had sunk enough that the door mat wouldn’t let it open, so I had to peel it off the frozen ground to make room to get in, dump the pine needles and grab the bird food. I fed the birds and put a couple of my water coconuts into the sun to thaw.

The pond is frozen over and it looks like the water level is down a bit. I’m hoping there’s no damage causing this. The edges of the ice were thawing and it looks like there are little gaps where air and creatures can get in as needed. A paddlestone has slid in, so that’ll have to be found in the spring.

A displaced log turned out to be frozen to the ground, so I couldn’t tidy it up. The hellebore is coming back very slowly, so I might get to see it again. In Bed 3 a few bulbs are coming up. Outside the bed there’s a frozen molehill, but it’s the only one in the plot.

The fern bed was completely frozen, with frost-covered logs. It might be a while before I can start work there seeing as the sun doesn’t hit it at the moment.

Suzy gave me 10 English bluebell bulbs for Christmas, which I planted today. I have 3 pots of 2 and a larger pot with 4 crammed in. They’re sat outside the back door to try and discourage the birds from pecking at the compost. They’re intended for the fern bed, so assuming they come up ok,  they’ll be moved there later in the year.

The ferns are an IOU Christmas present and meanwhile the end of the garage is full of bark, bags of oak leaves from Normandy, various logs I keep picking up (or being given!) and a bag of pine needles to dig into the fern bed.