The weather has been beautiful over the last week, and I've been doing lots in the garden.  So I'm going to try keeping a weekly record of what I've done, and what changes I notice.

There are approx 4 areas to the garden, which slopes upwards.  At the bottom is a patio with a rockery, which catches the early morning sun.  There is a slope with a pond, a beautiful cotoneaster, a camellia, and a rhododendron, which leads to a flat area of grass below a scots pine and beech tree, where wild flowers grow in summer.  The last part of the garden is a grassy slope again.  There are a few beds around this, which are a work in progress, and a side vegetable patch that's a bit shady.  Right at the end is the compost heap, a silver birch, and a shady area with a raised bed that looks like a sarcophagus!

Muntjac deer, squirrels and pigeons mean that plant buds are vulnerable to nibbles.  I've planted a number of perennials during the autumn/winter, and I'm using hanging baskets to protect them.  I'm not sure what will happen when they outgrow the baskets.  I might have to make some chicken wire protectors.  

Last autumn I planted a number of bulbs.  The snakeshead fritillary have been nibbled in some spots, but are good in a couple of places.  Erythroniums came through this week after being nibbled.  There are lots of euphorbias around the garden, and I've added another, Euphorbia Ascot Rainbow.  I'll take a photo and add that to another post.