It’s been hovering around freezing all week so not much has been happening in the garden. The only thing growing is the ice.

Yesterday I bundled up in six layers under my warmest coat and waddled a few doors down the hill to a house where I’ve been seeing a lot of earnest activity. It seems an artist has moved in and has been re-shaping a boring yard with new flower beds. They’ve also ‘planted’ some quirky sculptures.

Very quirky sculptures.

1. The safety-conscious welcoming committee at the front door.

2. The Madonna of the house.

The Madonna of a new flower bed.

3. Two similar head stones.

4. A Buddha.

5. A home gnome.

6. Calf?

Calf roper?

And, of course, it’s de rigueur to have a place in the garden to hang one’s coffee cup.

While you may have heard of the British gardener, Monty Don, you may not have heard of his shy, younger brother, Monty Jon, also known as The Propagator and host of Six on Saturday, where gardeners from around the world gather and inspire each other.