The rain this morning gave way to sunshine this afternoon, so took the opportunity to change the wheel on the wheelbarrow ready to move the compost bins to the new bit of garden once the fence is up.

Today is a very exciting day😃.

There is a small piece of waste ground at the end of my garden at the side of the garages. I'd been thinking about it for a long time, quite a few years in fact, getting fed up with other peoples rubbish by my back gate, but it all came to a head last year at the beginning of grass cutting season when a neighbour had a go at the contractor for not cutting the grass there. She got him to do it but he left the clippings behind and she got her son in law to rake them up and leave them in a pile by my gate😠.

So I applied to the council to allow me to take it over and fence it off. It has taken a while but on Friday the contract was signed and for less than a pound a week it's mine as from today.

So this afternoon I was busy with saw and loppers cutting my poor willow tree back in preperation for putting up the fence (which I can't afford for a couple of weeks) and getting a shed , which will be a while longer in coming. I would also like a small greenhouse up there but it remains to be seen if there is room.

The immediate plan, once the fence is up is to move the compost bins up there along the garage wall. Put the shredder and chainsaw in the shed, when it arrives and move the saw horse up there to make it my work area away from Rogans inquisitive nose. I've been collecting ideas for an interesting path and would like to make a bug hotel. Any spare space will have vegetables in.

Someone said my garden was magical last summer, I think it needs to be for me to be able to fit everything in that I want. 

A Tardis garden, now there's a dream.

In the meantime work has begun cutting back the willow.

I don't think I will have upset the birds too much , I've left everything this side of my existing back fence.

The next job on the next dry day is to get it all cut or shredded.

This is the scene when I opened my front door this morning, all damp and dismal

certainly not the day to carry on pruning my Buddlea.

But although it's cold and wet and miserable, there are signs that spring is round the corner.

Or maybe these mousetails are just trying to escape the waterlogged ground.

Not sure if you can see it, but there is a waterfall from the Ivy on the Willow tree!

And I know I like my waterfeatures, but in front of the coal bunker?

Or the shed door?

Think I'll go back inside and start planning for the spring.

Happy New Year.

And look who's come out to wish me a happy new year. The first Helebore in flower this year.

And the daffodils are starting to peep through as well.

Even the weather is looking good this morning, although the rain and hailstones were hammering down in the night. There's a cold wind blowing now but the sun is out.