Don’t tell anyone but I went out in the front garden – in full view of the neighbours – and decimated the spiky thorn bush that has been scratching the car (I shall look it up) and snipped some holly. I used industrial gloves at one point but those bushes didn’t know I was coming. Tenth day of January and I am not bundled into ten layers of woolly clothing!

I even trimmed the holly bush which was overhanging and obscuring the phormium which is one of the first things I planted in the front. The others have not flourished quite as well but they were smaller to begin with.

I feel quite virtuous that my green bin is full again on the day of collection. But wondering what to do if glorious January continues? I will struggle to add much to the compost bins even though that is what we are being encouraged to do. Maybe I’ll have to ask Letchworth freecycle sites for another one…