February Seed Tray -- Susan Price
Deep mid-winter... That was last month, January. And ( above ), the footprints of our resident wood-pigeons mingle with mine. They'd come down to trample the snow right outside the kitchen door because they were tired of waiting for us to put out seed. Now it's February and, like gardeners the ledth and breangth, I'm starting to think about seeds. Tomato seeds and sweet-pea seeds especially, in trays, on the kitchen windowsill. Seed potatoes in old compost bags. Leaf mould. Mulch. I think gardening takes up more of my time and energy these days than writing does. My garden is the usual grey, dreary, untidy, depressing winter mess -- but here and there are snowdrops and cyclamen. And big, fat green buds on the narcissus. A slightly nibbled Christmas rose. But then, being nibbled a bit is what this garden is about... A wood mouse, who lives under the bonsai apple tree. Some of the nibblers come and impatiently knock at the kitchen door. Look at the grump on that face. "