Our garden is slowly but surely coming to life. The snowdrops are starting to go over now but the crocus look like scattered jewels. Everyone’s daffodils seem late this year. Ours are in bud now but they won’t be in flower for about another week, but these few daffs were open in Ashton Park, West Kirby, beside the bowling greens.

I managed to give the lawns their first mow of the year--and disturbed a huge green-faun frog in the process. He reluctantly hopped away into the hedgerow, out of harm’s way.

In the front garden, Richard has dug out the tangled heap which began life as two separate shrubs and an ivy. A stout bramble had rooted itself right in the centre of these, which only added to the problem. The easiest way was to clear it all out totally. Now we’re left with a bald patch. I’m considering putting in a small frog pond. We get many frogs and toads, and maybe they’d appreciate somewhere to paddle.