It was icy in the early morning last week, with mist wrapping the trees. We had the first rain for such a long time. The garden smelled wonderful. The Virginia creeper (or is it Boston ivy) is turning gold and rosy-red at the tips, ditto my two crepe myrtles. The flowers have all disappeared from the perennials save for just a few fluffy heads of eupatorium, all are destined to be cut to the ground in a week’s time when the garden will be left to rest with just the grasses and tall spikes of rosemary through the winter. Time to empty the compost bin to feed the soil, and wait for freesias to burst through to join the grape hyacinths and miniature daffodils for a late winter / early spring show. I am interested to see how my shapely cushions of sage survive the cold. Probably not. Having visited a beautiful garden on the Mornington peninsula last spring I have decided to sprinkle seeds of lavender peony poppies amongst the grasses. Once established I am told they will self-seed and spread.  All of this planning for new growth is dependent on solving my rabbit problem…

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