At 4am when my daughter was throwing up I didn’t anticipate a lovely sunny afternoon in the garden! And it really was glorious afternoon and my daughter left the sofa to help me and found seven ladybirds on one bush!

The garden is looking a bit sad in places but we will change our focus this year and maybe finish the most annoying jobs. I feel so much more positive and Valentine’s Day is looking optimistic again. Eighteen years in… And getting started in February means the summer colours are looking positive. I found some interesting bulbs and perennials in Wilkos this week with dark red, brown and deep purple blooms, as well as some lupins and rudbeckia for my daughter’s bed. Californian poppy seeds will help to add some oranges to the cornflowers in the back. I love it when a plan comes together.

There is optimism in some of the new growth I can see coming up as I’ve long lusted after the plants I’ve seen in flower shows over the last couple of years and some of last years alliums, cornflowers and poppies are coming up. I have three weeks in the summer to visit some flower shows, friends? Let’s get planning?