As I mentioned yesterday, spring has definitely arrived in Oxford and lovely it is, too. However, with winter-dormant plants waking up, it does mean that there are certain jobs that need to be attended to in the garden. The key one in our patch has been pruning, both for start of spring candidates like the Cornus bushes and also the ones that could have been done a month or two ago.

Yesterday morning, I made a list of the fruit bushes, shrubs and trees in the garden and looked up the appropriate timing and methods for each one. Even more efficiently, I have now created annual reminders to save me having to look them up next time. It wasn’t just paperwork though; I’ve also been out with secateurs and loppers performing the requisite tidying up.

I think I’m almost done for now – just a little renovation to do on the blueberries, although I should follow up with treating plants to a bit of fresh compost to help them recover from the damage and hopefully grow well for the purposes I envision them being there for.