This time of year the garden looks so dead. Heaps of old leaves and brown plants may suggest there's nothing going on in the garden.

But there is, down at the roots life is starting to shoot on some of the hardiest perennials. Look closely at the photo below which is of a Nepeta, Cat Mint, and you will see at the very base of the plant the new growth for next year.

It maybe very cold but the mild spells are a good time for gardening. This time of year the weeds come away more easily from the earth and are much easier to spot. In spring, sometimes its hard to tell weeds from new shoots, and in summer there so much growth the weeds get hidden. This time of year there's no hiding place for them so it's a good time to deal with perennial weeds, at least some of them are out of the way for the spring.