What to do at Christmas
THE week before Christmas, not to mention the days between December 25 and New Year, are strange times indeed. There’s the mad rush to get everything ready, followed by a unique annual slump where everyone lets their belt out a notch and fights over the last purple-wrapped Quality Street. Getting out into the garden during this time is an excellent way of escaping the hullabaloo, getting some exercise and keeping on top of outdoor tasks. I will be starting the week by tidying up the drive before any guests arrive. It is fringed with shrubs that need cutting back into shape and now is the time to prune and shape the deciduous ones, particularly a couple of long-established potentillas that have grown outside their allotted space. It’s a quick and easy job –…