My Boxing Day blog. After a decidedly Zoomy Xmas, we’ve just moved into Covid Level 4 in mainland Scotland and Storm Bella seems to have arrived already. Hmmm. It’s going to be a good day to sit by the Xmas tree and browse the seed catalogues. The reason my blog is a bit late today, is that I’ve been transfixed all morning by garden wildlife. I have not managed to get any good shots of the 3 pheasants, 12 blackbirds or multiple fieldfares, but this little chap finally posed for me. We have at least 2 red squirrels in the garden (I witnessed a fight over the feeder this morning), possibly 3. They are endlessly cute.
![](http://balmerino.ddns.net/geekygarden/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/squirrel-1-1024x631.jpg)
With the storm coming in, it’s warmish and wild out there, but yesterday was a bit more ‘Christmassy’, at some point I added some boiling water to one corner of the pond, to allow birds to bathe and drink, which was frozen solid all day.
![](http://balmerino.ddns.net/geekygarden/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/pond-1024x576.jpg)
I’ve been fairly relaxed with clearing the garden this year, due to general grumpiness with grey wet weather, but also a sore shoulder. I did manage to get in and tidy up the gunnera for the winter. There are many new buds coming, this plant is a beautiful brute.
![](http://balmerino.ddns.net/geekygarden/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/gunnera-1024x633.jpg)
Just one veg triumph this week. I DID it…..provided some precious sprouts for Christmas dinner. Home grown do really taste so much better than the bought ones.
![](http://balmerino.ddns.net/geekygarden/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/sprouts-1024x648.jpg)
I will finish this week with some end of year colour. The first is very surprising. I grew ragged robin from seed for the first time in 2020. They took a while, eventually flowering well into December. But still flowering, and each little flower is like a little Christmas decoration in the sunshine.
![](http://balmerino.ddns.net/geekygarden/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/ragged_robin-1024x667.jpg)
Last, some seasonal cheer from skimmia japonica. 2020 has been the year we didn’t expect, I’m getting ready for a few surprises in the New Year, when it comes, hopefully some of them nice ones.
![](http://balmerino.ddns.net/geekygarden/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/skimmia_japonica-1024x607.jpg)
Don’t forget to follow #SixonSaturday on Twitter, and take a look at other sixer’s contributions via the great Propagator himself.