END OF DECEMBER UPDATE

•  First of all new flowers in the garden.  We often buy plants at the Growers' Market and couldn't resist these dwarf sunflowers

the same with this lovely poppy

These yellow "daisies" whose name escapes me were from a neighbour sorry for the blurred photo.

and in the vegetable garden This buttercup? squash came up in the garden from one we had last year

I was late planting tomatoes so we have a while to wait yet.  There are five at this stage and five younger ones.

The second lot of beans are just coming on 

We have also got cucumbers and courgettes and this shows three of the six bunches of bananas 

Christmas morning was spent at Granddaughter's farm and we enjoyed spending time with the family especially four of the five great-granddaughters.  Since then the first local great-grandson has been born and I have celebrated another year on the planet.  Doug suggested we go out for a meal but as everywhere is busy with holidaymakers I opted to stay home and we bought some delicious gurnard which we had for lunch followed by the last of the trifle.

Just before Christmas a couple from the walking group gave us some lamb (well hogget actually) and asked if Doug would care for some Monarch caterpillars as they were going away so we have a whole lot of "new blood" in the Monarch family. The cage they are kept in now has lots of chrysalises.