Snowdrops, aconites and hellebores

A wonderful day's gardening, Gardener came at 10.30 am and we didn't stop work until 4.30 pm, with one short break for lunch. We are still working on repair jobs like creosoting the new fence and making low brick walls around the beds where the cats dig up the earth and chuck it on the paths. Perhaps a brick wall will stop them. 

We pruned a couple of apple trees, an ancient one, all gnarled and bent, which produces scabby apples which are only good enough for the birds and a beautiful crab apple tree, Red Sentinel, which is spectacular in all seasons, first producing gorgeous blossom and later millions of tiny bright red apples, which stay on the branches throughout the winter, provided the birds don't eat them all. But there are so many of them even my greedy blackbirds can't take them all. I'd encourage anyone who has the space to plant and cherish a Red Sentinel, they are just so wonderful to look at. We also cut back a few fuchsia bushes; I sincerely hope I won't regret that, there will still be frosts. Most of the fuchsias grow in  sheltered spots along walls; perhaps that'll protect them enough. We tidied up and mulched the spring borders. Soon the daffodils will be too tall to get in there. The snowdrops and aconites are quite spectacular now and the hellebore buds are beginning to open.