Plant some colour this year

THERE used to be something precious about the idea of settling in a dimly lit room in the dead of winter with a glass glinting in the reflection of an open fire, finally beginning the task of working through a pile of the new season’s seed catalogues. The great attraction lay in the luxury of a clear conscience, knowing there were no more urgent tasks in hand for a day or two and thus a degree of self-indulgence was in order. All those notions have faded like the morning dew as having nothing much to do and nowhere to go has become an international way of life.

We can console ourselves in this