CHRISTMAS ROSE

A couple of years ago I was given this Christmas Rose as a Thank You for knitting a pair of mittens for my friend's elderly aunt. It's done really well in this patch of garden, which doesn't get any sun during the winter because it's blocked by the house next door. Gillian took a small piece for her garden. This plant has expanded as much again from the original plant.

 

 

The buds have this strong pink on the outside which turn into a white flower with a greeny-yallery boss in the centre. I don't think there will be many insects about in this sharp weather; although we haven't, thankfully, had any floods there's been so much rain I can't shut the old shed door, it's very swollen. The rain has made the wood so soft the mouse/mice are finding it easy to munch their way through it!!

 

I'm pleased it's flowered at the right time, too.

 

The badger seems to have given up coming for supper at last so I've stopped donating peanuts to the mice...



BADGER IN THE SNOW

Before I went to bed last night I turned on the outside light and pulled back the curtains over the patio door. There was a trail of footprints which I followed with my eyes until I came across a badger snuffling up the bird seed which I'd scattered during the day. I hadn't put out the peanuts I still leave every night but don't usually see the animal itself. Not good photos as I'm taking them through the glass, without flash and this one, above, is where it's only just coming into the range of the outside lights. But it's still a badger in February!
It was frightened away when I opened the patio door. I popped on my garden clogs and scattered some peanuts where it had made a clear space. Everything was gone this morning so
it, or another one, returned later in the night. This photo has a strong shadow under the badger's head. Apologies for the fuzzy photos. This is the first badger I've seen in the winter though I've found footprints before.