Beacon in the Garden!

I know I keep banging on about colour but we Brits associate November with darkness, wet, fog and general greyness!!  We don't associate this month with the sort of colour that abounds right now.  We have one Acer that sits pretty much in the middle of the garden totally exposed to winds and sun and I don't think it's meant to be this happy!!  Most Acers prefer dappled shade and a modicum of shelter from wind.  Right now this one is the jewel in the crown and its colour is startling from every other point in the garden.  Even from the kitchen it's like a giant glowing lamp! When the sun shines, its nothing short of dazzling and on the darkest day it's like a big warm beacon.  As if that wasn't good enough - to think that when it drops all its leaves, we get to compost them all!  Oh, and in case you're wondering: it's an Acer palmatum dissectum Seiryu and it moved here in a pot from my last garden!

Automatic Greenhouse Shading off for the Winter!

Now that the automatic greenhouse shading has done its job for the summer and the vine has now conveniently dropped all its leaves, these plants are being allowed maximum light during the darkest time of the year.  It has to be the easiest and most conveniently natural way to provide shade in a greenhouse.  Easier even than flicking a switch!  Oh and did I mention zero cost?  This greenhouse is not 'heated' as such but the heater thermostat is set to keep the temperature just above freezing - which is fine for these plants which are just being grown for a little winter colour and fragrance.

Just 2 hyacinths have filled the air with their perfume but actually the little Cyclamens have their own much softer perfume as does the yellow Primula.  None of the other coloured Primulas have any perfume at all.  There are bulbs in the larger terracotta pots - not planted as early as I'd have liked!  Hopefully, they'll follow on and provide a little continuity.

Barking up the Right Tree!

OK so the weather has turned much wetter but so far, the heavy rain and the high winds have been arriving overnight and the days have been bright and sunny.  Who could resist a quick nip round with the camera and spotting the sun on the bark of the Prunus Serrula.  It just looks so spectacular and  proves that trees don't need leaves to look amazing! Shaggy, shiny what depth of colour!!

Useful Winter Colour

Using the stems in March

November leaf colour

Naked November stems

All in the same garden but, different Dogwoods at differing stages and different colours!  All are Cornus sanguineas and those in leaf are definitely the Midwinter Fires with the odd Alba! Colour is so important at this time of year with the shorter days and the ever lowering light levels.  These stems are cut down each year in March as younger stems retain the brighter colours. The stems make very useful plant supports as they can be woven like willow stems and become available at exactly the right time of year!  The picture of me making a support was obviously taken in March.  I'm using a dustbin lid as a template for my extremely rustic looking plant support but it worked perfectly well and how much more natural than plastic?

Frosty Stripes!

Well!  After such a prolonged spell of such unseasonably warm weather, the first frost was always going to come as a bit of a shock.  After all, we've gone from working outside in short sleeves to the reality of proper November weather!  It's so unusual to be cutting lawns in November.  The drop in temperature has been dramatic and will hasten the remaining leaf fall.  Those which aren't ready to drop will colour up a lot more.  The Acer Palmatum Dissectum Seiryu still has the majority of its leaves and we're still waiting its usual really sizzling red colour change.  What's weird about these photos is seeing lawn mower stripes on a frosty November lawn!  Yep I did a high cut only 2 days earlier!  Maybe it'll stop growing now?

Eggseptionally Good Layers!

Well, the girls have eggselled (sorry!) themselves over the past few months by working really hard!  In four months, our five hens have produced the following eggs:

• July   77
• Aug   103
• Sep   116
• Oct   102

TOTAL 398

Eggsess (sorry again!) numbers are sold at the end of the road - £1 for 4 or £1.20 for a box of 6 which pays for their food.  They always sell out and our neighbour is a very keen baker and so we never have left over eggs. Of course, as the days get shorter, we know that egg production will drop.  As said in previous posts, these are five different hybrids so will lay all year round.  Their fruit supplements will reduce as windfalls are nearly all consumed now.  They will continue with their layers mash and mealworms as well as layers pellets and, being the world's most spoilt birds, they do have Dodson and Horrell's best! For our foreign followers: Dodson and Horrell hold a royal warrant as they supply HM Queen! With so few birds to feed it's a case of 'because they're worth it!'

Blowing before Mowing!!

This unseasonably warm weather has meant that not only are there  leaves to hoover up but that the grass is still growing - fast!!  I don't remember grass cutting being such a necessity at this time of year before.  The real pain is finding the time to do it when it's not sopping wet with dew.  I even resorted to going over the top lawn with the blower first, just to dry it!   I must say that it worked rather well and meant that wet grass didn't block the mower by sticking to everything. The lower lawn and orchard just seems a little too big for that!  Our lawns are that awkward in-between size - a little too small for the ride-on and a little too big for the walk-behind!  I have been using the ride-on on its highest setting for hoovering up the leaves - especially the tulip tree leaves which are the size of small cushion covers and it only takes a few to completely blanket the lawn obscuring all light.

I think my new tip is definitely run over wet grass with a blower if you're desperate to mow.  A case of blow then mow!