The sky was such a great shade of blue I had to take a picture of it. The magnolia in the front garden is covered in buds as usual so I am hoping for lots of flowers on this in the Spring.
The front garden is coming on well but this time of year it is best characterised by the winter flowering honeysuckle that it next to the front gate. The scent from it as I arrive home from work in the evenings is wonderful. Having scent in front gardens is just a must in my view.
The sarcocca in a pot is in its winter place by the front door. It will need repotting for next year I think. The Quince Hedge is looking very hedgy these days and is covered in flowers. Now that it has reached the stage where it has be trimmed to start making a shape it is responding well by thickening up.
Around to the back the cluster of pots show that the Spring bulbs are on their way up. There is also a mahonia waiting to be planted out. I admit to buying it and not being totally sure where I was going to put it. I sort of know and once I've wandered around the garden with it a couple of times I am sure will definitely know.
The little clutch of pots on the garden table are looking after each other. The Primula Don Keefe is flowering well.
Whilst on a container theme, the Courtyard plants are doing well. Buds are forming on the rhododendron Luteum and the camellia.
The Cardoon is showing a lot of fresh new growth. Whilst December has been wet it has also been very mild. I am hoping that the new growth will survive a future cold snap.
The winter sun has only just started its journey across the garden at this point in the day. The garden does not look as saturated as it is. The lawn is squelchy and I have have not achieved any real garden time for weeks.
The storm damage so far in my garden is minimal thankfully, the rose arch has, as usual, taken a turn for the worse. I will cut down the roses that grow over it and put it back together. This is now an annual task the roses respond well to their heavy prune.
The pergola has also taken on a lean. I should be able to fix this also...... I hope.
The Four Sisters are doing well, the edgeworthia is hopefully steeling itself to get through another winter unscathed. 
The other side of the pleached hornbeams, the hamamelis is in full flower and is being kept company by Esme.
and the really good news is that the orange hamamelis that is by the pond is also starting to flower. It has not really flowered for the last couple of years and I wondered if it was not getting what it needed where it was planted. Thankfully it now looks like whatever was upsetting it has stopped and I am hoping that it will now thrive.
The mild weather means that the Spring Border already looks quite springy. The helebores are starting to flower and the primulas are doing so as well.
The virtually perennial nicotiana is growing well, this is now its third year.
The little wild wallflower is now self-seeding around the garden and flowers almost every month of the year. It is a superb little plant that came to me as a generous gift of a twitter friend.
The first snowdrop has flowered,
the Russian comfrey that sprawls at the top of the garden underneath the 'I refuse to die laurel' is also in full flower. There are still bees in the garden so it is good there is still food for them.
The viburnum Burkwoodii planted a couple of years ago has decided it has now settled in well enough to flower again. Like many plants it had a bit of a rest in its first year of planting but now I am hoping it will grow well.
There are cyclamen flowering,
I bought quite a few plants last Spring so I am pleased to see that they are flowering already.
Even this vinca which I allow to tumble about the top end of the Wild Garden, is flowering and is a happy sight. I am not so fond of it if it wanders where it is unwelcome (as it is want to do) but, in the right place, a good plant.
The Prairie Borders look nicely blonde even in the shade. The mild weather means that, whilst very rained on, they are so far surviving the winter well.
The teasel patch is providing seeds for the finches.
and the winter flowering clematis is doing well.
The heather that formed part of the Heather Spur has, quite frankly, never done what I hoped it would. Some of it died but some of it has come on quite well and whilst looking at it I did think I need to decide a way forward for this part of the garden.
The winter sun shines beautifully on the remnants of the perennial sunflowers and the grasses by the pond.
The Coronilla valentina ssp. glauca 'Citrina'. is still flowering as behoves the Plant of the Year winner. 
The vegetable beds look mainly like broccoli.
Though some cabbages remain and I remain proud of them with their tiny hearts.
The kale stands testament to plants planted and not harvested. They look good though.
In the greenhouse it remains swathed ready for the frost that has not really arrived,
this little tiarella seedling has decided to flower in celebration.
and the pond is full. Yes, actually full, which it has not been all year. If it was not full after the amount of rain we have had I would suspect a leak!Thanks as ever to Helen for hosting this meme.
