Welcoming the New Year has started with a cold, a heavily moulting Golden Retriever and a hell of a lot of cleaning. Not the most exciting way to begin a brand New Year but it would be hard for it to get worse than that. On the plus side, I guess it’s semi-proactive, bar the coughing and spluttering of course.Over the past year I feel as though I’ve neglected the garden and the blog somewhat, although starting a new business and a brand new career has eaten up a lot of my time. In some strange way I seem to have engineered a very busy existence of late that revolves around work and animals, which leaves little time for anything else. This will need further adjustment over the coming year although changes are already afoot. As a start, I’ve resigned from my post as Allotment Secretary and adjusted various other things that will mean come sunnier times I’ll be able to garden care free, write more and finally get back to riding. I seriously need to invest in lessons; perhaps this should be a resolution of mine?
Along with a lack of time, the weather has influenced my absence heavily and I can only pray that this changes in 2013. Is it just me or does it feel as though the rain hasn’t really stopped since Spring? The past month especially I’ve found that my allotment and garden has been largely submerged and much like Anne Wareham’s Yew hedges, I fear that I too will see losses come the Spring. One benefit is that I still have a variety of bulbs that remain unplanted. I say that its a benefit as if planted I fear they may have simply rotted in the waterlogged clay ground. As soon as the soil drains a bit I’ll plant them up or save them for containers. I do worry though that without a good cold spell we may also have a battle of epic proportions with marauding molluscs and other undesirables on our hands. Failing a late Winter cold spell, perhaps an early Spring offensive would help?
The chickens have faired better than the plants and haven’t struggled too much. Their badly timed moult has left them looking worse for wear although their desire to stand out in the rain when they have a perfectly good shelter baffles me. The old girls have also decided that egg laying is “so last year” and I’m having to do with shop bought, which is not a patch on what the girls provide.
Overall 2012 has been a mixed bag. A lot has been achieved and much has gone undone. Highlights have included attending the RHS Chelsea Flower Show and writing for some great blogs and publications. 2013 will be much the same I expect and I’m excited, as this may be the year that leads on to bigger and brighter things, or so I hope!
Happy New Year all!
