November: worm friendly

Last Sunday I had a close encounter with worms.

As a child, I was fascinated by them: I used to watch them wriggle uncomfortably on my palm whilst I plotted surprises to inflict on my classmates. The song, ”Nobody loves me, everybody hates me, I’m going down the garden path to eat worms…”, still drifts through my head when I see boys sulking. Oh happy days!

What I didn’t appreciate then was that they are really good news and I must now confess to dispensing contradictory advice on this matter. On the one hand I recommended raising a compost heap off the ground to discourage vermin. On the other hand, I recently advised all you keen gardeners that having the base on the soil will accelerate the decomposition process. And boy - it really does too!

Now, I know in the scheme of things such as world cup rugby finals, this is a small matter, but when I tipped my compost out to let predators finish off the woodlice that had infested my compost bin, I was amazed at the results. I would say that the worms that had come up from the soil had accelerated the composting process by about tenfold. I didn’t have to go down the garden path to eat worms: they were coming up to meet me.

So, unless you have a serious local vermin problem, I would go for the “compost-on-the-soil” option. If you don’t add any cooked foods or proteins to the heap, you will reduce the chances of a nasty, furry surprise. Alternatively, you can go to your garden centre and pay a fortune for a bag of compost that has hundreds of road miles. Readers - no pressure there at all.

• If you want to plan some spring cheer, there is still time to plant out tulip bulbs, including the autumn flowering variety.

• Raking leaves can seem to be an endless task, but it is worth it. Firstly, it allows the lawn to breathe and reduces the chance of mould developing in your lawn. Secondly, the leaves are good news in a compost heap when a layer of soil is added every 30 cm or so.

• Burning leaves is another way of processing them: the ash is good for the soil as it is high on potassium - the element that encourages fruit and flowers. Add any diseased plant material to the fire too including rose leaves that have black spot.

• Put rabbit guards on new trees to stop them gnawing at the bark if food is scarce in a harsh winter. Check tree ties too: loosen one that are too tight as this restriction can inhibit the flow of sap and therefore nutrients, around the tree.

• Prune shrub and standard roses by about a third in order that the wind does not move them around and damage the root system.

• Lift pots and containers off the ground by a few centimeters and give them “feet” of tiles or stone to avoid water logging. Pots that are fragile should have their winter wrap to prevent frost damage: bubble wrap is effective.

• Mary Poppins fans may agree that now is the time to feed the birds. (Tuppence a bag may, however, be asking for too much.)

Finally, don’t think the coming autumn and winter is all gloom: when I worked as a gardener, I was amazed at how much solar light there was in the winter months.

Don’t take my word for it - go out there and enjoy the shapes, the shades and the shadows.

October: chopping and changing

With autumn here, I can’t wait to get out into the garden to start moving plants around. All year long I have looked at my patch and visited the gardens I have put together, and thought: “Hmmm: that plants needs moving, that plant needs dividing, that plant needs pruning!”. It is a never ending creative task and maybe that is why it is so appealing.

Now is the time to get your bulbs in too: it is still relatively mild, so getting daffodils, snowdrops, aconites and crocus into the ground will pay dividends next year. It doesn’t feel like a hardship either: with the crisp mornings and a bite in the air, seeing the changing colours is a joy. There is immense satisfaction to be gained from working as a Romsey Garden Designer but there seems to be never ending procession of hues to enjoy that vary always vary from year to year.

When you are not admiring the trees and gulping in the fresh air, jobs to do this month include:

• Pruning roses to prevent damage during the windy, winter months. As a rough rule of thumb, prune shrub and bush roses back by about a third. Climbers and ramblers can be thinned by about a third too.

• Get your compost area primed and ready for the autumn: make sure you have a waterproof cover as this will help retain the heat. Old carpet or sheets are ideal. If you can have your compost heap on soil rather than a hard surface, you will give access to those all-important worms.

• Harvest your fruit, but bear in mind that if you don’t remove all the protecting netting, you will allow birds to feed off those pesky pests.

• Cut back the perennials that have died down, but again, think about leaving plants that have seeds for the winter birdlife.

• This is the best time of year for lawn repairs as the soil is still warm and the amount of rainfall is increasing. For the best results, undertake the three main jobs of scarifying, aerating and applying topsoil.

• Pots and containers can easily become waterlogged in winter. By taking them off their saucers and by giving them “feet” to keep them off the ground, you will ensure good drainage.

Last week I saw a four year old carefully collecting the brightest coloured leaves that had fallen on a path: she was not the least bit bothered as to how long it would take. Her parents eventually starting joining in.

Now that is what I call adult learning.

September: a slippery slope

A few days ago I returned from France: I was looking at a garden with a number of challenges.

Approximately 30m x 30m and on a steep slope, the garden nestled on the edge of a small valley in a village in the foothills of the Pyrenees. The topsoil was alkaline with poor nutrition: in the rainy months it was in danger of being washed away by heavy downpours.

Tricky to negotiate, the garden slope was proving to be a challenge to maintain. The retaining walls at the bottom of the slope were badly deteriorating. At the top, and adjacent to the house, a large water tank had been buried under the stone terrace.

Let me ask you: what would YOU do if you were only there in the warm months, the strimming of the grass took forever and your appetite for hillside pruning of shrubby gardening was diminishing every year? (Yes, this IS a test to see how much attention you have been paying in recent months!).

Well, I can tell you what I came up with anyway.

The clue for me was understanding how the locals managed their land. Where there was unwanted scrub and grass, livestock was fenced in and left to clear the vegetation. The direction of rainwater was clearly managed too: this not only reduced the chances of damage being done to structures but allowed for a layer of decent soil to become established and enriched by animal manure.

For the garden in question, by establishing a drainage flow, the rainwater could be safely channelled to the least destructive outflow point. By planting fruit trees in a regular pattern and close to the water flow, they could be irrigated and the roots would help bind the soil. Instead of just scrubby grass, a wildflower meadow could provide colour and insect attracting perennials in the warmer months when the house was occupied. In order to alleviate the need for hours of expensive strimming when the meadow needed to be mown, a goat or one of the small, local grazing ponies could quickly clear the garden of the meadow growth.

When it came to irrigation, you guessed it: the large buried water tank would be able to feed a smaller holding tank that could drip feed the fruit trees on the slope, especially in the crucial early years and early months of spring.

What excited me wasn’t just the sheer beauty of the area with its expansive views of the vineyards and distant blue mountains. It was the fact that, once again, by looking at how generations of smallholders have managed their precious land and by going back to first principles, more recent developments can be used: the latest seed mixes, new irrigation technology and newly bred fruit cultivars can be introduced to this garden.

If you think about it, these first principles of water management, of allowing nature to show us what works best and of harnessing the power of waste, are equally applicable to the local garden as they are to the country field.

So when you are not dreaming of owning a vineyard, there are a few tasks to be attended to this month:

• Beech and hornbeam can be given a light trim to keep them neat throughout the winter. As semi-evergreens they provide useful screening

• Deadheading will still produce results, especially with Dahlias that can look good until the first frosts

• Be selective when cutting back your herbaceous plants: many of them will provide seeds for wildlife as well as being attractive in the winter frosts and sunlight

• Raking out the thatch from your lawn (scarifying) and using a fork or an aerator to spike your lawn will improve drainage and the quality of your lawn. Where there are bare patches, sowing seed over spread topsoil and feeding the lawn in spring will give a fresh, green appearance.

• Divide herbaceous perennials that have become too big for their spot: it is remarkable how many plants can be teased out of one large clump. Be generous and give some of it away: you are very likely to have the compliment returned.

• If you have a pond near a tree, it is worth placing a net over the water to catch the leaves when they descend in autumn

• Order and plant spring-flowering bulbs

One tip I would like to pass on when exploring sustainable gardens: maybe you should ask your family first before you bring home a goat from the market to mow the lawn. Maybe just settle for some long grass, a some wildflower seed and a high setting on the mower?

Happy gardening!

August: downpipe time

They say that necessity is the mother of invention: looking at the emerging garden philosophies of using drought tolerant, low maintenance planting schemes, that certainly seems the case.

Instead of putting more of a burden on our water supply and in an effort to reduce labour costs, landscape schemes are incorporating more grasses and other drought resistant plants.

Fewer formal rows of bright annuals being planted out, and, in their place, we are seeing carefully selected wildflower mixes that climax at a time of year when they are likely to be appreciated. A perfect example of this philosophy in action is the Queen Elizabeth Park in the former Olympic park. Seed mixes are constantly being experimented with in order that they can provide interest throughout the year. Dr Nigel Dunnett of Sheffield University is the man to look out for with this: as a Hampshire Garden Designer he has been a great inspiriation.

The domestic gardener can learn a lot from these new approaches. August is traditionally the time when additional watering is needed to help sustain newly established plants and to keep hanging baskets and containers healthy. We all know the virtues of water butts but a few brave folk are imitating the initiatives taken on large landscape schemes by diverting the water from downpipes straight into borders and grass. This creates the possibility of having a semi-wetland ecosystem whereby a greatly more diverse planting scheme and the subsequent wildlife it will attract, can be sustained.

So whilst you are thinking of how to become more “green”, here are some of the jobs to do in August:

• Prune Wisteria by cutting back current year’s side growth to about 150mm

• Trim Lavender after it has finished flowering being careful not to cut back into the leaves if it is an older plant

• Continue dead heading container plants, roses and herbaceous plants such as Geraniums, that repeat flower

• Cut back rambling roses once they have finished flowering

• Trim hedges before the colder weather slows down their growth

• Give lawns a light trim rather than a heavy mow. Leave the collection box off as that will help keep the moisture in the lawn in drier weather

• Keep ponds topped up and remove any blanket weed that might be blooming. The topping up of the pond is best done when the demand for water is not at its peak.

• Water any newly established plants, especially if there are signs that the plant is stressed.

  Ornamental grasses have become very popular and there is a good reason for this: many of them can cope with both wetland and drought conditions. They can also look fabulous in the dormant months, especially in the morning sunlight after a frost. You also don’t have to worry about watering them when you are away on holiday, so you can think about a different sort of watering...

July: naming names

If we are lucky, we keep on learning.

Horticulture is no exception and that, to me, is one of the fascinations of this world. Right from the start, plant names have always baffled and intrigued me in equal measure. As time has gone on, I have learnt to appreciate the logic, stories and history behind some of the names.

For instance, did you know that the charming Lupin derives its name from the Latin word for ‘wolf’ or ‘destroyer’? It turns out that some vigorous species of Lupinus could devastate agricultural land. On the other hand, the common daisy is named as Bellus in horticulture which means ‘pretty’ in Latin.

The most common form of sage has the botanical name of Salvia officinalis: Salvia was the name given to it by Pliny because it had medicinal properties that made it safe, saving and healing. Officinalis means ‘of the shop’, implying that it is common and readily available. The late summer flowering Aster is named after the stars (as in asteroid) due to it’s stella-like flower shape.

As with the human family, behind every name lies a story, not least of the plant hunters who risked their lives finding and transporting plants to the west from around the world. Next time you tread on the rather unglamorous Viburnum davidii, think of the French missionary and plantsman Father David out there in the wilds of China. Pet shops up and down the land are forever indebted to him as he also introduced us to Gerbils ! It is amazing what you learn in a career as a Hampshire garden designer!

So when you are ready to get off your sun lounger and away from your book on the history of plant names, there are a few essential tasks to be done this month:

• Water your containers and newly planted trees and shrubs: it is surprising how quickly they will dry out.

• Deadhead roses and keep an eye out for signs of powdery mildew, blackspot or rust. Prevention is always better than cure so water, feed and pick off rust or blackspot affected leaves.

• Cut back delphiniums and geraniums after the first flush of flowers to encourage a second flowering period. Feed after cutting them back.

• Prune June-flowering shrubs such as Philadelphus and Weigela after flowering. Prune deciduous magnolias if necessary.

• Fast-growing hedges such as Leyland cypress should be clipped as necessary throughout the growing season.

• Box plants and hedges have been increasingly susceptible to damage by caterpillars in recent years. If you find any, pick them off or spray them but be aware that warm, wet weather will cause leaf drop due to box blight fungal infection.

• If your floral displays need perking up give them a weekly shot of high-potassium liquid fertiliser. Deadhead the flowers when they are over.

• The bird population will appreciate keeping the bird bath topped up but by keeping them clean, you prevent the spread of diseases such as bird pox.

• Ponds are never maintenance-free! Thin out vigorous oxygenating plants leaving the prunings on the side of the pond to allow the aquatic creatures back into the water. Try to keep about 30% of the water clear of plants.

• Try to use your hose outside the times when the water system is most in demand.

If your garden and your holidays seem a bit tame, then pick up a good book on the adventures of the plant hunters. The huge Douglas fir was named after David Douglas: he began life in Scotland and ended his days in Hawaii. Not bad for a plant nerd.

June: garden carnivals

I get worried when Gardeners Question Time starts irritating me: have I finally become Mr Grumpy? The questions are perfectly sensible, the answers perfectly sensible and the whole event is thoroughly, well… sensible.

The reason for my unruly disquiet was probably given to me when I recently visited a botanical garden. No“Little England” on display here! The plants were from all over the globe: some were messy, some wild, some aromatic and some outrageously beautiful. Above all - it wasn’t sensible: there was life, drama and colour.

The difficulty that most amateur gardeners face is that the palette of plants on offer at most garden centres is so sensible: it is easier for them if they play safe. The truth is, however, that if you really do understand your soil, your particular microclimate and your aspect, you will be able to include a huge range of interesting plants.

Is your garden very sheltered with a sunny wall and well-drained soil? Try growing a palm tree or a passion flower climber. Is it poorly drained with an open aspect? Look into the huge range of ornamental grasses now available that will give you all-year interest. Is it acidic soil with deep, humus-rich soil? Try expanding the range of plants with some unusual Acers or less common bulbs such as a Fritillaria - the snake’s head fritillary.

Once you actually know the conditions of your garden, you will not actually be taking that much of a risk. If one or two things don’t work out as planned then simply move them! You will be surprised by how creative you can be.

In between creating a garden carnival, the jobs to do this month include:

• Putting out summer bedding hanging baskets and bedding now the frosts are over

• Cutting down the stems of the spring flowering bulbs such as daffodil

• Cutting and clipping Privet, box and evergreen honeysuckle hedges (Lonicera nitida)

• Philadelphus, Kolkwitzia, Weigela and Deutzia can all be pruned after they have flowered. In doing so the new growth will have time to develop in order that they may flower the following year.

• Give Clematis montana a good hacking if needed (they can take it!) and tie in climbers

• Remove stems of any variegated plants that are reverting to their original colour or the whole plant will ‘revert’

• Stay on top of the weeds, especially the thugs such as ground elder, bindweed, mare’s tail and bramble: nothing like a bit of spade action to get them out!

• Give ailing plants a shot of liquid feed as that is the best way to give them a lift

• Keep a close eye on the soil moisture levels as newly established plants can easily suffer

• Keep your lawn trimmed but don’t go mad if drought conditions appear

When you are done with the above, try a village fete or two for some unusual plants. They are usually ridiculously good value here and profits go to a good cause. The cream teas are usually fabulous too, not to mention the home made jams.

Tell me - what is there not to like?

May: walk on the wild side

This time of year always seems to be a tightrope walk between the sheer joy of plants bursting into life, and the sheer panic of wondering how I am going to stay on top of the gardens and my allotment.

I have, however, learnt that working with nature rather than against nature, is the route to improved peace of mind and a less sore back.

Firstly: pick your battles. You may not get on top of every weed emerging but getting stuck into the pernicious perennials such as bindweed, ground elder and the dreaded mare’s tail mean that you are tackling the thugs. Give ‘em an inch and they will take a pub lunch.

Secondly: by packing out the borders with perennials that you DO want and are good ground cover plants (such as Geraniums, Alchemilla mollis, Epimedium and low-growing ornamental grasses), you will reduce the chance of weed seeds falling onto fertile ground.

Thirdly: weed and water little and often. The hoe is my favoured tool of weed control. Watering cans are my preferred way of watering. This is quite time consuming but very economical: it is also strangely relaxing after hours in front of a laptop. Plants will be crying out for water now as they start coming into their own. A smattering of rainfall goes nowhere if the soil is dry so be generous.

Fourthly: put to good use all those peelings, apple cores and tea bags that have rotted down in your compost heap. Spread them around the base of new plants in order to keep the weeds down and the moisture in. I keep my compost heap on top of 60 centimetre timber verticals to reduce the chance of pests getting to it.

Lastly, think about filling the bare or dull corners of your garden with a walk on the wild side. A handful of bee attracting wild flower seeds on a patch that has been cleared of perennial weeds can give an extraordinary amount of pleasure, not to mention succour to the wildlife. Check the weather forecasts for ground frosts to make sure that the seedlings will not be wiped out. Cover them a horticultural fleece if you need to.

Essential jobs to do this month for the gardener with the busy life include:

• Pruning those plants that have been affected by cold winds and the winter such as Acers or Choisyas. Cut back the stems to the healthy growth.

• Cutting back to 10 centimetres from the ground those tender plants that are shrub-like in habit but are actually herbaceous plants. These include Caryopteris, Fuchsia and Penstemon.

• Putting in plant supports where needed and canes to mark where vulnerable plants are emerging: by doing this they will not be overlooked when watering and weeding.

• Lowering the blade of your lawn mower as the grass becomes more lush and more able to take a finer cut.

• Feeding your lawn with a nitrogen rich fertiliser - preferably an organic one.

• Tying in roses and other climbing plants. Be as brutal as you like when cutting back Clematis montana after it has flowered (short of hacking it down to the ground!).

• Adding compost or manure to the base of shrub and standard roses.

• Dividing and replanting herbaceous plants that have flowered including Brunnera, Pulmonaria and Primula.

• Daffodils and other spring flowering bulbs can be lifted and divided too.

If ever you think that everyone else has got their garden in order and are disappointed that your borders do not look like those in the magazines, then remember that it was years of trial and error that got Britain’s prized gardens to where they are now. And the small matter of a couple of dozen gardeners at the owner’s disposal.

With that in mind, you are probably doing better than you imagine!

April: plant-aholics-anon

With the coming of sunny spring days, there is a great temptation to rush out and fill your car with plants from your local garden centre.

I am sure you would get ten out of ten from a gardener for enthusiasm. However, the chances of the best looking plants you see being plants that suit your particular needs, are probably zero!

My advice would be to think carefully about the spaces you are trying to fill and the character of the border you are trying to create. What is the soil type? Is the drainage good? How much sunlight gets in? At which time of year will this area be seen the most? Even as a professional, I am often dazzled by the showy plants at a nursery only to find them disappointing for the remainder of the year.

Applying the same principle when shopping at a famous Scandinavian furniture retail outlet, I try to go for the exact product I am aiming for: I try to avoid being a victim of superb marketing and highly confusing floor plans. Steeling my spirit by eating at the craftily placed cafeteria never works:it saps my will to make sound judgments as I try avoid the items placed in the path of my trolley. So beware! Garden centres are beginning to get the hang of these tactics.

Once you are back in the safety of your garden, you can go about April’s tasks with the confidence that you probably won’t be distracted by unnecessary commercial attractions. The main jobs for this month are:

· Tie in climbing and rambling roses as they take off in the warmer weather.

· Loosen tree ties where necessary.

· Cut back the stems of Forsythia once they have finished flowering

· Plants that have attractive young growth, such as Cotinus (smoke bush) and Sambucus (elder) can be cut back to make way for the bright new juvenile stems.

· Feed trees and shrubs with either an all-round slow release fertiliser, such as ‘Blood, Fish & Bone’ or with an organic fertilizer such as horse manure. Be generous to depleted looking plants and newly planted ones.

· Grass seed can be sown to create a new lawn or repair an old one. Add slightly more than the recommended amount as conditions are rarely perfect and, one way or another, quite a lot of seed can be lost to the birds, the frost or to damp.

· Be gentle with your lawn: if you cut it too hard, the structure of the stems will be damaged. For the average garden lawn, 30mm is an ideal height of grass to aim for at this time of year.

· If you have not done so already, cut back Cornus (dogwood) and Salix (willow) shrubs to 150mm from the ground. This will increase the chance of producing bright looking stems for the winter.

· Divide and replant water lilies when they show signs of growth.

· It is quite natural for your pond to go green in spring. It should clear of its own accord but if it does not, consider adding oxygenating plants. Feed your water plant baskets with specially prepared fertiliser that will not turn your pond dark green due to the excessive nitrogen.

· Try to get on top of the weeds as they emerge. A well laid out garden should have plenty of dense plant cover to suppress the weeds. Hoeing is probably the most effective and easiest way to keep weeds at bay: it is also kind on your back.

· Watch out for dry spells: these can knock the growth of a plant back, so be prepared to do some watering of newly planted trees and shrubs.

After completing these tasks, why not reward yourself with a nice plate of wholesome food.

Anyone for meatballs?

March: too good to be true?

At the risk of sounding like the soothsayer in Shakespeare’s play, Julius Caesar, when he cried out:“Beware the Ides of March!”, I would like to shout out: “Beware the Frosts of March!”.

Like many others, I have lapped up this recent good weather. Out at the allotment, down at the beach and on the bicycle; it has all been a real joy. The temptation now, is to charge ahead with the pruning, planting and mowing that are best left until the temperatures are consistently spring-like. You will have noticed the recent night frosts after the clear days: these are enough to damage a newly-mown lawn, knock back growth on recently pruned plants and to finish off anything that would usually be under cover at this time of year.

The best advice is to do what you would normally do at this time of year in the garden.

• Start mulching your borders with compost or well-rotted manure in order to feed and improve the structure of the soil.

• Keep planting bare-root trees and shrubs, but wait until the end of the month before you plant or move evergreens.

• Cut back those dogwood and willow shrubs with the vibrant stems if you want them to produce strong colours next winter. Taking them down as far as 100mm (4 inches) from the ground is fine.

• When the frosts are over, divide and replant clumps of herbaceous plants that have become too dense for their own good.

• March is the best month for planting roses in heavy soil and cold areas. Prune bush and climbing roses.

• In preparation for the new growth and flowering in the summer, prune Buddleja, Caryopteris, Ceratostigma, Hydrangea paniculata, Leycesteria, Lavatera, Perovskia and hardy Fuchsia. Look up as to what extent they should be pruned: this will vary according to what you are trying to achieve and the location of the plant.

• Deadhead daffodils when they are over, but leave the foliage on order that the bulbs can be fed.

• Plant and divide snowdrops and winter aconites.

• Plant summer flowering bulbs and sow some seeds such as sweet peas.

• Cut back ornamental grasses, even if they don’t look unruly, as this will make way for new growth.

• If the dry weather persists, be prepared to do some unseasonal watering of newly installed plants.

I hope you do all this in blazing sunshine. If, however, you don’t, then take comfort in the fact that your March will still be a lot better than Julius Caesar’s one all those years ago.

February: hedging your bets

With cold winds blowing across the country, spells of snow and little food or shelter for birdlife, winter is the time when hedges come into their own. It is also the time when the well-maintained hedge can be easily distinguished from the badly-maintained one!

You see, when the snow weighs down on a hedge and the sides get thrashed by winds, a poor hedge will collapse outwards. This is usually because it has been allowed to become too straggly, or more importantly, it has become top-heavy.

A good hedge will have sides that are sloped inwards towards the top so that when the weight of the snow comes down, there is enough structural strength to maintain its shape. These slightly sloped sides also have another important function: they allow light to the base of the plant in the growing season so the growth is not restricted to the top. If the top part of the plant is the only part getting light, it will become top-heavy and, over time, will collapse

There you go: lessons in architecture and structural engineering when you thought it was just a hedge that needed trimming.

If your hedges are suffering at this time of year then it is probably best to tidy it up as best then plan a proper overhaul at the correct time of year. Many domestic ones can be safely tackled in spring once the frosts are over but do bear in mind that birdlife will may be nesting there - so please choose your moment carefully.

Jobs for the month include:

• Continue to ensure tree stakes are firmly in and tree ties tight, but not too tight.

• Tie in any climbers that have worked loose.

• Lift and divide clumps of snowdrops and winter aconites once they have finished flowering.

• Prune winter-flowering shrubs whose blooms have faded. These might include Mahonia, Sarcococca and Lonicera fragrantissima.

• Wistaria can have their second prune: take whippy shoots that were pruned by several buds in June or July, and cut them back by a further two to three buds. This ensures that the flowers will not be obscured by the leaves.

• Continue to plant bare-root stock, including roses.

• Dig compost and manure into the borders where you can, without compressing the soil in wet weather

• There is still time to renovate overgrown deciduous hedges such as beech (Fagus), hawthorn (Crataegus), and hornbeam (Carpinus). They can be reduced by as much as half: be careful not to disturb any long term nests.

• Keep your bird feeders and all wildlife food topped up.

• Avoid walking on the lawn in frosty weather as this will damage the grass.

There is plenty to see and admire at this time of year though, admittedly, this is often best done with a mug of hot something when the sun is out on a crisp, frosty morning. Beats sitting inside looking at a screen any day of the week…in my book anyway!