The REALLY Perfumed Garden!

 

Colours are beginning to change and leaf drop has well and truly begun.  It's very definitely autumn now! 

I'm so pleased to have so much scent in the garden at this time of year.  We have an Eleagnus down by the Compost Yard which is a joy to walk past.    Along the Fernery Path is a Heptacodium which is just blasting out fragrance from its tiny flowers! Actually, both these shrubs have such tiny flowers and yet the perfume just blasts out!  Totally worth bottling!  

Also by the back door is an elevated pot of Cyclamen - not quite at nose height but, again a seriously wonderful whiff when passing.  I promise you - another perfume worth bottling!

Adding Accessories to the Outdoor Kitchen!

 I've been given a few more accessories for what's fast becoming an outdoor kitchen in the Herb Garden.  Since the old cast iron range was installed, I've acquired an old enamelled saucepan, some old cast iron scales and weight, a flat iron and, most recently, a little brass kettle!  The Pelargonium which has provided the flames all summer long is due to spend the winter back in the safety of the greenhouse and remerge next year.  Now I need to think of something to mimic flames over winter!  Ideas?

Accessorising the mini outdoor kitchen!

Dragon Border Progress.

 The days are getting noticeably shorter but we've been lucky weatherwise enjoying warm sunny days.  The new Dragon Borders have been very successful and we've enjoyed prolonged colour since May.  As few things need moving around to optimise heights and planting a Mexican sunflower (Tithonia) at the front was never going to work!  However, the flowered its heart out and the bees loved it!  At the moment the Phlox are over and the Rudbeckia are fading. However, the  Hesperanthus are following on with a blaze of colour and the Penstemons are still going strong, A couple of low growing Michaelmas daisies are also ablaze and probably need moving further forward as does a Scabious.  Note to self: support the Hesperanthus MUCH earlier! Left photo taken this week. Right photo taken in August. 

Bottom photo demonstrates the wisdom of supporting plants early and not allowing them to flop on the grass!

MORE WINNING SUCCESSES !!

  We had a few successes in the homecraft and produce sections at this year's annual Stoke Bliss & District Ploughing Match,  We came home with a total of 3 x 1st's, 5 x 2nd's and 2 x 3rd's!  That's a  surprisingly respectable number of prize cards.

My homemade garden book won 1st in the homemade craft class!  This much used garden jobs book was made from unwanted ply which I decorated with pyrographic illustrations. As well as a first for 'Farm Life' in the photography class, I had another 1st for a floral arrangement.  I really did some panic picking to achieve all the colour.  Other successes were with watercolours, foliage plant and dahlias.

Despite these successes, we still desperately need your votes as the garden has been shortlisted in 

The Nation's Favourite Garden Competition.

 There is still time to vote here:

PEAR TREE COTTAGE GARDEN 

PTC's Twilight Garden by Candlelight MMXXI

 

What a few weeks it's been!!  Getting ready for our Twilight Garden by Candlelight event is always a hectic few weeks and this year has been no different!!  Chris has clipped perimeter hedges and between us we did the Yew hedges and topiary around the house - not to mention the Bay tree the day before!!  The Bay always makes the biggest mess but this year it rained all day when topiary clipping so everything stuck to everything else make clearing up and even bigger pain!!

Most of August the days have been dull cool and very cloudy and dark.  Luckily for us on the day of our big event, the sun came out!!  Visitors rolled up and when all the sums were done, we made a MASSIVE £2,099.00!! We beat our own personal best!! 

Now a VERY big thank you to Chris who not only ensured the garden was spic and span but together with Ollie and Ian he returned to place 500 tealights, lanterns and candles around the garden.  He also lit some Swedish log candles on the drive which were a great magnet for everyone!

As dusk fell, the garden was magically transformed into an absolute fairyland.  Visitors were both enchanted and entranced!  It certainly ensured that we secured a few more much needed votes (and in case you haven't already voted, you can: VOTE HERE ) 

Greg came up from Harpenden and took turns with Richard on the piano - whilst I couldn't hear the music, I did hear all the applause!! Of course we couldn't do this without all the help so freely given by friends and neighbours.  Our heartfelt thanks go out to them!  Well done team!!  

MORE PHOTOS HERE!

PEAR TREE COTTAGE GARDEN IN THE NEWS!

 I nearly forgot to say, we made the local newspaper again - see  Pear Tree Cottage Garden featured in the Worcester News Hopefully the article will translate into a few more MUCH needed votes! You can also vote here: Vote for Pear Tree Cottage Garden

Shortlisted in a Nationwide Competition

 Today we heard that the garden has been shortlisted in The Nation's Favourite Garden which is being run by the English Garden Magazine.  Our little rural cottage garden is up against the 'big boys' in the horticultural world as many great and glorious gardens are competing.  We desperately need votes and they can be cast here:  

VOTE HERE!