Choosing a frugal Christmas full of joy

Andrew Oldham continues his diary from his home at Pig Row

- Andrew Oldham

With the arrival of December, it is easy for me to hope that the garden has gone to sleep and that the next time I will be out there is when the first buds break on the fruit trees. That's what I really want to think but then there's the reality of growing: there's weeds out there taunting me by growing in the cold and wet, there's garlic on the kitchen table waiting to be planted when the weather breaks, there's fruit trees to be pruned to encourage growth and I have to fit a growing list into a possible few hours were it doesn't snow, rain or blow me away.

THE REALITY OF WINTER IN THE GARDEN

Even a simple job, like tying in the cherry fans becomes an endurance task. Just as my fingers start to warm up to tie back the branches to their frames the sun leaves, the wind clatters and I am plunged into an icy coldness that means my bones won't thaw until July. The next morning as I looked out all I could see was an icy whiteness, the depth of my knees, and those cherry trees I tied back to the frames, as my fingers turned blue, had snapped under the weight of the snow.

That is the nature of winter on our hillside, it either gambles in like a newborn lamb on spring grass or the lamb hires a tank to do doughnuts on the pasture.

My to do list grows more and more but one thing usurps the planting of the garlic and the pulling of weeds: fix things. 'Fix things' is the universal call by gardeners in winter.

THE ADVENTUROUS LIFE OF THE GREENHOUSE DOWNSPOUTS