We are past the winter solstice and the days will start to lengthen. It is a time to once again look forward, rather than dwell on the present (poor pun, but apt in the case of our reduced, lockdown Christmas).

But one of the benefits of gardening is that it draws you forward, planning and looking ahead to the sunnier times and days of plenty. Even in the cold weather there are warming sights of plants coming through with the promise of spring. Despite being deposited in the sodden clay soil, all the garlic and most of the shallots are rising out of the waterlogged ground like excalibur from the lake. The broad beans, too, are emerging and in the pots by the patio the hastily planted bulbs are doing what is expected of them.

The reduction in festive socialising seems to have led to an increase in quizzes and puzzles which might explain why some of you tried so hard to identify the Chili Peppers songs in the previous post. I am pleased to publish the answers below. I am expecting some VAR-type controversy, particularly as my most competitive brother got involved, so I look forward to the hairline debates over re-mixes, cover versions and whether it was fair to include titles and photo captions in the list of songs.

For the record, Red Hot Chili Peppers were probably Josh’s favourite band, which was my reason for the theme. When he and his mates saw them some years ago, they had initially been disappointed when ‘Soul to Squeeze’ had not been on the playlist…until the encore when the guitar intro found the 6 ft 4 inch Josh suddenly catapulting himself onto the shoulders of 5ft 8 inch Ed, where he stayed for the rest of the track. It’s an image that I held in my head as I wrote it and I am playing the track on loop as I write this.

“Where I go, I just don’t know
I got to, got to, gotta take it slow
When I find my peace of mind
I’m gonna give ya some of my good time”

Happy New Year to you all – find your peace of mind and look to the good times.

36 Red Hot Chili Peppers Songs

Post Title:

1. One Hot Minute
2. Soul to Squeeze

Text:

1. Hey
2. This is the place
3. Desecration Smile
4. Easily
5. She looks to me
6. Otherside
7. By the Way
8. If
9. Storm in a teacup
10. A minor thing
11. Midnight
12. Around the world
13. Road trippin’
14. This Velvet Glove
15. Purple Stain.
16. My Friends
17. Coffee shop
18. Dosed
19. Right on time
20. Turn it again
21. Readymade
22. Transcending
23. Warm tape
24. Deep kick
25. Scar tissue
26. Tearjerker
27. Walkabout
28. We believe

Photos:

1. Dark Necessities
2. They’re Red Hot
3. Under the Bridge
4. Fire
5. We Turn Red
6. Make You Feel Better