Keeping dry and a visit to Wisley Gardens

What a very wet and windy January we have had - and February looks like being the same.

The side and end of the garden has been under water for most of the time, although when we have had a couple of rain-free days it has drained away fairly quickly.   But the ground is very very wet, and not good to work on.  I did get out last Sunday and cut back a few shrubs, but other jobs will need to wait until the ground is less sodden.  We are so glad the Council cleared out the land drain outside our property two years ago.  Goodness knows what things would have been like had it not been done.

 

 The path to the garage and vegetable garden is also flooded, as is the small sitting area beside one of the greenhouses.   Water has also gone into the greenhouse, which  makes for very damp conditions inside.   I do have the door open each and every day, even if only for an hour or so, which helps to move the air around.

The hose you can see beside the wet path is from a pump which we have in our small pond.   For the past several years it has overflowed each winter when it rains and has to be pumped to keep the water level down and the fish inside.   We have decided, very reluctantly, that next summer we will have to fill in the pond and give our fish away.   It is such a shame as we love our pond and the fish, but it is becoming  a constant battle now to keep the pump on each winter to keep the fish from swimming away.

Despite the wind and rain, there are signs of spring.  These snowdrops have been out for about ten days, and there are also daffodils peeping through.  

A couple of weeks ago, on a calm and sunny day, Brian and I decided on a whim to visit Wisley Gardens. We are only about a twenty minute drive away.  Brian wanted to try out his new camera and I wanted to take pictures of trees, my project for the U3A Camera Group.