A mammoth undertaking

The last of the snow finally melted overnight on Wednesday, when some heavy rain washed away the last of the piles around the garage. I can now see my garden properly for the first time in several weeks, and it’s not a pretty sight! My herb garden seems to have been particularly badly hit by the harsh winter. At least half of my rosemary bush seems to be completely dead, with much of the rest looking very sick. The oregano, thyme and sage are all pretty much black and very sad-looking. I’ll have to wait and see whether any growth regenerates from the roots as the weather warms up, or whether I’ll have to replant and start again from scratch. I suppose that’s the risk you run if you try to grow Mediterranean style herbs under a foot of snow!

I noticed when the snow was blanketing my lawn that it was looking surprisingly bumpy, and not as smooth and pristine as I would have expected. And now the snow has melted I can see why. I’ve got another mole. Just like last year I’ve got a mole digging feeding tunnels directly below the surface, and making a right mess of the lawn.

Mole tunnels

You can also see that the snow drops under the apple trees are only just turning – they’ve had a massively long season this year, and are one of the very few plants in my garden which seem to have actively benefited from the snow. I’ve got three very brave crocuses just trying to show their heads, and not one single daffodil yet.  So yesterday I treated myself to a bunch of cheery red tulips from Waitrose. My garden may still be in snow-induced shock, but at least I’ve got some colourful flowers indoors to perk up my spirits.