When I typed ‘What else’ into a search engine, the first suggestion was ‘What else is going on in the world?’ Clearly I am not the first one wanting to know. And equally I don’t want ruminate on the number of people affected by the current situation. So here is What else is happening here:

1. Spring has SUDDENLY raced in and, despite everyone supposedly having a lot of time for gardening, it surprised me. Especially as I managed to plant a few things too early, hence letting them wither in a ground frost and with the garden centres closed I can’t replace them. So I have resorted to begging seeds and plants from friends and offering to exchange them for surplus tomato plants (I always end up with too many of those).
2. My freedom obsessed hens are spending more and more time outside the garden, walking up and down the blackcurrant rows. That is very good news for the crops as they are regularly weeded and an extremely good news for the fox that no doubt is waiting for his opportunity. Not brilliant for the overstressed, manic cockerel, who is beside himself inside the run; and indeed not fabulous for the hens (who are on borrowed time, if you ask me).
3. After reading some scary information about the contents of the usual dog flea treatment I am making my own. Every morning I spritze both dogs with it. They are not in love with it.
4. In order to get our garden in… well… order, I have braved the compost heap and surrounding area. Who’d have thought we had so many rolls of chicken wire and leftover pieces of wood?
5. I’ve put a rainbow on our fence during the lockdown. This allowed me to find out that Billy the Puppy barks EVERY TIME someone stops at our gate, while his dad, Fred the Dog, doesn’t give a …
6. Let me warn you that sowing the seeds of hardy annual has to be done in a cloak & dagger manner. I didn’t know that and let the hens see me. Big mistake. Turns out they love hardy annuals.
7. I can report that cleaning the glass and floor of your greenhouse is weirdly satisfying – even if there almost nothing to put inside it (see point 1)

Over all, my life (and many others’) has shrunk to food, fresh air, home, FaceTiming friends and family. And what else is there?