New Miracle Gardening Tool!

 Here we are in December and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't missing my loyal and longstanding gardening companion of 20 years: Chris Pugh who left suddenly last September. However nothing lasts forever and life moves on and all of those over used phrases! 

I've actually been really enjoying border clearance thanks to 3 dry days and a new miracle gardening implement!

I don't enjoy looking out on soggy brown mushy stalks in winter.  Pretty shots of seed heads in the frost and food for birds is a myth here.  The seeds are long gone and the rain and storms have battered what remains.  On excellent recommendation I bought a Niwaki mini scythe and WHAT a game changer indeed.  Border clearance was a breeze and done in far less than half the usual time.  If honest, I was slightly daunted at doing it all alone but really need not have worried thanks to Tammy at Stockton Bury for her recommendation!  AND....it wasn't just the Dragon Borders that were cleared and tidied, oh no!  I could hardly stop and put it down.  Even ELH himself came out and gasped at my progress!

Well done Niwaki!! For £14.00 it's a Miracle Tool!!

Dragon Borders all cleared.

Intense Autumn Colour

We've really enjoyed such a fabulous intensity of autumn colour in the garden this year so here's a link to lots more: 

November colour 

NOVEMBER BIRTHDAY SNOW!

 

2 3/4" on the avian depth gauge

 Thank goodness we managed to collect nearly all leaves and plant tulips and narcissi as 2 1/2" of snow fell soon afterwards and hung around for nearly a week with quite hard frosts!!!  Bit of a surprise as I woke up to find a real dump of snow on my birthday - a real first!  Not that it stopped thoughts of spring and necessary preparations.  The weird thing was seeing snow on Acers still with their bright orange leaves!

Talking of spring, the old Cosmos have been removed from the raised border and I've planted some lovely Wallflower plants courtesy of Keith Boulton at Heath Nursery in Lower Broadheath who can always be relied upon for quality plants.  You really can't beat growing them in a raised border  at nose height! 

I also planted some lettuces in the greenhouse border so, hopefully, we'll be OK for winter salads. I was pleased I'd put some protection around the new Acacia dealbata. It was planted in May with hopes that it will be sufficiently established to survive its first winter - she says nervously!

Leaf Colours & Leaf Collecting!

 

After a week's absence, unsurprisingly, we missed the tulip tree colours as 90% of its colour was on the lawn!  These leaves are large and heavy when wet and so began the big clear up alone. Noah the mower doesn't cope with leaves - especially thick layers of large ones! At least the weather was dry as filling bulk bags with large quantities of leaves & lifting heavy bags on to the compost heap is really a 2 man job.  

Still, when all was finished and lawns mowed, the sun came out for a few minutes and it was time to admire the view and the colours of the leaves in the adjoining cider apple orchards.

Historical Coincidence!

 I recently came across this photo:

The gentleman on the left used to live here at Pear Tree Cottage!! He was the Deputy Chief Constable of West Mercia Constabulary and signed my warrant card when I first joined up. Prior to amalgamtion, he was the Chief Constable of Worcester City Police.  He was well known for his love of green ink!! I can only boast a green finger!

Autumn is upon us!

 

Here we are in October following a pretty dark and soggy September.  I've been busy bringing tender plants into the greenhouse and propagating more Pelargoniums - always very time consuming.  Moving the lemon tree was a breeze this year since Chris Genever built a little wheeled platform.  Despite its great weight, it's comparitively easy to trundle around! All plants are in but not necessaily in their ideal spots!  On a dark and dull day, the greenhouse is quite a cosy place to work.

I've picked the last of the Helichrysums for drying leaving just brassicas in the vegetable patch.  I know have to think aout pigeon defences!

As they start to fall, major leaf clearance will soon begin.

Twilight Garden by Candlelight 2004

 A few photos of before, during and after this year's 
Twilight Garden by Candlelight

Photos