Category: Garden

November 2023 and it has been wet, but today it looked good. Ruth, Simon and I set to. First off was reducing the lawn yet again and planting some grasses, kindly donated by some friends. The other two are currently planting spring bulbs in the middle of that lawn.

Next up was to re-fix a rail along the top cross path and plant some similarly donated raspberry canes.

Finally, I had already halved the size of one of the benches, but it was a bit high for shorter legs than mine, so I adjusted that and then put some steps in next to it to start another access path through that bit of shrubbery. I put in a willow arch to highlight the entrance at the other end.

Over a couple of sessions before today, Ruth had also been clearing and planting grasses in a section of the hillside below the shelter, which are also looking good.

Time for a sit on the adjusted bench and look at the view.

Amidst a chaos of building work, a day of path clearing, pruning and bed sorting alongside a harvest that was edible and one that spreads plants to other gardens.

Ruth was away for a couple of weeks, so I was in charge. These are some of the photos I sent her as updates. The weird mixture of rain and drought has led to some giant plants, virtually no apples and an absolute glut of red roses. The Heron surplanted the usual crows and magpies. The cut and come again cauliflower is very successful. A change of location and regular watering brought a smile to the face of a sad fern.

Although most of the leaves have now gone, some are still clinging on to green. The weather is cool and damp, rather than cold and the sun was so warm the other day that I couldn’t leave milk outside while we had a cup of coffee. There are quite a few flowers around, some early some late. There were seven female pheasants and one male in the garden at once one day.

The strange weather continues with some trees going into leaf drop routines early and others late, giving an extended display. We have a confused hazel that has green leaves and catkins, when most trees are now bare. Fungi all over the place, as usual and I improved a table top in time to match the Acers outside.

I’ve been doing the equivalent of ‘no mow May’ for a very long time, by leaving patches with daffodils, snow drops, daisies and buttercups, but for the past few years Ruth has been working more seriously on meadow planting sections of the grassy areas. Yellow Rattle is one of the ingredients of this style of planting and we have had varied success, using both seed and plugs. This year it has suddenly arrived with a bang.