Agree with Dew once swept off or wind dried then rotary is best this time of year. Wheels could cause tracks which will hold rain and turn to mud..

I am genuinely grateful for the advice, both of you. You're right about the wheels- tried that, me the fool!

Some posters on another thread were chatting about mushrooms appearing in a lawn now, which is not the most frequent time of year for them, as the mycelium (the main plant body) seems to sense the conditions somehow from underground ( not just from what the trees are up to, which is true for saprophytic but not decomposer groups) and detects subtle changes in light, moisture, warmth and CO2 levels. However, it's not a rare occurrence and I have logged notable (& even edible ) species in January. The warmth of late autumn this year is, of course, notable, and increasing numbers of flowering plant species are blooming, including 3 rose types and 3 clematis types, in our gardens.

There are possibly as many as 100 fully-flowering daffodils wagging in the darkness on the lawn of the local fire station.

Yesterday, a child in my school was chased by a wasp.

Funny how the spiders stopped spinning at the very time the nasturtiums died.

Hazel catkins now scattering pollen - not seen that before until early January. Bumble bee was around today on our winter flowering honeysuckle.

With the wind, moisture and warmth it bodes well for early-flowering wind-pollinated trees.

Some of our Spring shrubs are trying to bloom already, I reckon the summer ones will follow soon at this rate, will this have a knock on effect when we do get to Spring/Summer?

I really don't know what to do with them.

Depends on the shrub, Jonesy; some spring-flowering shrubs are well-suited to winter flowering- Mahonia and Viburnum included. When the leaves break from the bud on more tender plants, that's a risky time.

The grasses on my lawn are now flowering; looks like a week of grass-growth ahead, at least. Wouldn't it be amazing (but not nice) if the pollen season started in December? 

About to mow the lawn

Although not strictly in my garden, the following flowers on my walk today (all of which grow in my garden) were in full bloom:

sweet violet

doves-foot cranesbill

hogweed

marsh marigold

lesser celandine

There were also flags (yellow irises) in strong stem, though not budding yet.

I've not seen the marsh marigold flower before March.

I had has much grass off my lawn as I do in May ....mental..........difference being the lawn is soaked

Festive entertaining approaches and we've almost got a full-house (no spuds) on the vegetables: parsnips are a bit blotchy but good; Brussels and savoy doing well and ready and waiting; leeks (to go in a bacon, leek and tarragon side- seriously, you've got to give this one a go) great.

For Christmas Eve the celeriac is good for a celeriac and carrot salad but of course we have to buy the carrots. Anybody grow carrots into December?

The first crocus, a purple one, is flowering in the middle of our crocus lawn.

I took advice fro others on here about mowing, and it worked.... but it's all up again.

Now to plan how to mow around the crocus. 

Whats the best thing I can use to stop cats messing in the garden.............................help!!!!!

This problem drives me to distraction too. In the summer, I can't let the kids out sometimes, it's so bad.

All the posters on here will have their favourite; there are repellents that can be bought- chemical and electronic- but also some people make their own. The ultrasonic one can be costly although a company called Primrose does a solar powered one for less than a tenner, I believe. They cover a limited area. It sort of 'boxes' the cat's ears and in time they learn to avoid.

Some people use orange & lemon peel- but it's unsightly if you use more than a little & I can't say I've seen it work.

I use curry powder- cheap bulk stuff. They hate it. It's plant based so it won't do much damage and it does actually work while it lasts, but rain washes it in.

See what other posters think.

Pyracantha clippings got thorns on ....

Cheers for that

Curry powder seems the option

Went down to my apiary about 2pm to check on the hives ahead of Storm Frank. Temp was 11.5°C and one hive was showing active flying. Previously when I had hefted the hives 3 were light, having eaten most of their winter stores, and are now on supplementary feeding. The oil seed rape, their main forage crop here, is remarkably tall for this time of year.  Driving back I noticed hazel catkins in the hedges. What we don't need is an early spring followed by a cold spell.
Advice to beekeepers who have not checked their hives - heft them now and be ready to take action or you may lose colonies.

Roger

Next year's self-sown nasturtiums already germinating in the garden (not a chance of them getting through the winter, though). A neighbour has 6 daffs out, not a specially early variety either.

I just checked ours in response to your post, Dave- found plenty of nasturtium seeds but not quite germinating yet. It's a shame yours have kicked off- as you say, it only needs one proper bit of frost. I suppose it's too fiddly to scoop them all up & bring them in.

Will need a cover on  Thursday night. They are very prone to frost.

I don't do fiddly - and I sometimes think the soil in our garden is about 50% nasturtium seeds! They'll be germinating all the way from now to next autumn whenever there's a mild spell. Any that poke their heads up early will just have to take their chances.