Work for the week. . .

You can almost tell what kind of weather we are having by the way the blooms of these snowdrops behave.

SNOWDROPS: Enjoy your snowdrops. Notice how, on mild days, their petals stick out like tiny propellers, and how in the cold they fold down and huddle together for added warmth. You can almost tell what kind of weather we are having by the way the blooms of these behave! Notice also how evergreen shrubs fold their leaves like half-closed umbrellas in cold weather in their attempt to offer as little surface area as possible to drying winds and cruel frosts.

LILY BEETLE: Be aware that, due to the rather mild conditions to date, lily beetles are once again active in the garden. Last month, in mid-January whilst adding mulch to the crown of deeply-planted lily bulbs, two small, distinctively coloured young beetles were trying their best to hide amid the application. Their bright scarlet wing cases made identification easy. These Europe-wide pests are still in the top three of garden pests following slugs (snails) and vine weevil.