Gardening today, again. It's been a funny old week, too many dark spirits haunting my thoughts. Gardening is always tonic for my soul, and, as I've also had a plasterer in, skimming my new work space, it seemed like a good idea to get out of his way and make myself busy outside. 
I've mentioned my compost heap in other blogs. I sift the third bin, and then turn the other two into the bin to the left, leaving me with an empty bin ready and waiting to be filled. This time I used the twigs and clinker from the sifting to mulch the bed under the two redwoods. There is a sarcococca confusa is to one side, it is not a huge bush but it is thriving in the dry, and I imagine acid soil, under these trees. Apart from that there are bluebells, snowdrops and ramsons, all of which will look better for a dark background. 
The redwoods are in flower at the moment, so too is the sarcococca and the lonerica fragrantissima and the viburnum. They are all delicate and fragrant, their smell more obvious than their looks. 
I was joined by two robins today. Yesterday I was also sifting my compost and the same robins came to "help", their song is quite something on a chill january day. Though the morning chill soon passed and it has been quite springlike in the sunshine. 
I am still not through with sorting out my compost bins so tomorrow will be another day of sifting and shifting, I think.