We had such a long cold spell over Christmas that respect must be given to any survivors. It was all too much for the purple sprouting broccoli and the caulies, but the kale is still holding on in there and the overwintered onions sets and broad beans seem positively perky.  All I need to do now is keep off the pigeons.  Rifle anyone?

Some of the frosts recently have been as cold as I can remember.  They are stunningly beautiful, but they make it tricky for the birds to find food and water.  Herbaceous seed heads like alliums and echinacea that look so dramatic on frosty days double up as all weather feeding stations, particularly for goldfinches.  But we also rely on our peanut feeder for garden birds, which is a life saver at this time of year.