I am having extreme difficulties getting close to the computer.  The under gardener has started a blog of his own and I just cannot get him to relinquish the computer to me except under threat of death!    We have both been suffering from colds but today when the sun shone I was out and working on the bank at the front of the cottage.  This is the third year that we have been working on this long a very difficult area.  You can see pictures of this on the site and you will see what I mean.  At this time of year I am again pulling up ivy and clearing rubbish away so that the snowdrops that do so well here can been seen.  I am most hopeful of lifting and so spreading the clumps of snowdrops right across the bank. I have some new plants waiting to be put in but more of that later.