My gardening helpers ......

It might seem as if my gardening is achieved single-handedly. Well that is simply not true. Here are two of my helpers photographed firstly on Hampstead Heath in May 2009, and the second assisting me with the important task of watering the pots in my garden a few days later.



Matilda doing a bit of field research.



She attempts to get away, field research being hard work.

Very happy with herself.

Rose loves watering the plants and wearing floppy hats.

I think she was watering my shoes.

Holehird Gardens, Lakeland Horticultural Society, 24th January 2015

On a dull day we arrived at one of the jewels in Britain's gardens, Holehird, the home of the Lakeland Horticultural Society and a marvelous place. The faintest scintilla of light promised much but only for the duration of the photograph. Still, we take what we can on a dark day.

Two remarkable plants greeted us. First, Ilex Aquifolium 'Bacciflava' with its fabulous yellow berries.

And then, glory of fragrant glories, "Daphne Bholua Jacqueline Postill", a plant of which I have written previously.

Rain. So we retired to the alpine house and I wished for the umpteenth time that I should chat to the bank manager about one in our garden.  She promptly told me it was impossible!!

Little actual colour but saxifraga and such that hugged the rocks.

Sizergh Castle, Cumbria, 24 January 2015

We stopped over at  Sizergh Castle as we made for our Lake District hotel. The house was closed and the gardens, so colourful later in the year, devoid of colour. The house is certainly lived in but I could not survive its dark interior. I was not really sorry it was closed to be truthful, which is not to criticise but I was in search of light that day.

 We did find some snowdrops but in their early stages sadly.

 The rock gardens are splendid in their season. This was not their season.

It is a sad day when the only brightness is emitted by a brassica.