January is here and I feel like bursting into song.

January holds everything for me, that December seems to for the rest of the world; excitement, merriment and good cheer. January is when you can concentrate on stuff that really matters to you...a time when it's okay to turn inward slightly, and ponder and plan...possibly get a bit organised for the year ahead (or at least think about doing something like it). January is, in short, the other side of Christmas, which, however much you love it (and I DO love it, I really, really DO *said through gritted teeth*) is often about running around trying to capture the dreams, fulfil the expectations and generally satiate the desires of others, with food, drink, LOVE...whatever. It's bloody exhausting. Tell me I'm wrong (ladies).

I'm writing mid-deluge during the wettest week I can remember for a long while.  Everything in the garden is sodden and flat. Leaves and apples have literally impregnated themselves into the grass; the whole thing feels like one big slimy mess....

And then I go outside. Immediately wonder creeps in, and I dash upstairs in my muddy boots to find my macro lens. Fifteen minutes later, when I am still searching for batteries and what-have-you, I remember that things don't have to be perfect, so I grab the iPhone. Here are a few beauties which caught my eye. You can get better photos of all of these elsewhere on this blog...just use the search box...

I'm acutely aware, though, that when it comes to having a garden, it's very much the 'whole' that matters, and so although I am loathe to share my flattened mess, I thought I'd post a pic of it here to show how it looks now in its entirety, after so much heavy weather and without any love or attention for over a year now (new baby).

Hmmm...nice! I have a long way to go, because this garden was always supposed to be a place that looked after itself, rain or shine. It's not doing that right now, so action is needed...my time, my energy, my passion, my devotion and my love. What this garden needs is a Christmas all of its own, where I attend to all its needs, make it comfortable, give it presents and send it sailing off into the new year full of happiness and gloating over its booty. Watch out garden...Santa's on his way xxx