Monday 27 October 2014

Back to GMT

So the clocks went back on Saturday night, and we all got an extra hour in bed!!! That is so untrue, you just wake up at your normal time, which is now an hour earlier and feel tired all day!!!
So out in the garden all is good, it is still very mild so most things are still outside. The greenhouse is prepared for the mad rush and we wait!!
Its all a bit wind blown after 'ex hurricane Gonzales'  whizzed through.


I love what the wind has done to the leaves of the Montbeliardii, the winds came in from the southwest as you can see, I rather like the look!
 

The poor tree fern has disappeared under the passionflower, which is supposed to be growing up the wall! This one has not been good this year only had about 6 flowers!!!


The Cleome, still flowering away, has been gorgeous, I am now a big fan of this and will definately grow again next year! I am collecting seed as well so should be able to give some away.

The Waggy has grown loads again this year. Another one that needs to be brought in as it doesn't like the low, low temps of winter. Just to its right you can see the big dark leaf:-


Black Magic, I grow this as an annual as I cannot get them through a winter in the greenhouse, funnily enough there is one in the greenhouse and it is dead but look at this one still alive. Really surprised as they definately do not like the cool!


The Trex I think is trying to flower

 and the black eyed susan, another fabby plant, just goes on and on..... I really love the colour of this flower
thats scrambling over my bay.


I love big leaves, this is the same height as me



The sunshine through my Hiniba.


My husband is really thrilled with the new bed, which, I find rather funny as he was dead against it to start with. Everything is growing well.


I even have self seeded tomato plants and a Ricinus as well!!


The new area is looking good, even for this time of year. I think I will plant Ricinus to the side of the Phormium next year, we will see. 


I have great plans (again) for next year. Over winter I am hoping to redo the flower bed next to the veg beds. I have always felt this looked 'bitty' so I'm thinking dig eveything out, try and get the bind weed roots then put some plants back in, Monty Don says you should only have 7 plants in a bed, with duplicates or triplicates of said plants. I think I have 37 individual plants in here!!


In the veg bed opposite, I haven't said anything yet, but I am tempted to plant some of my Ensetes, instead of veg thus extending the jungle and giving me more space to show off my plants.
We shall see, you know me, my mind changes at the drop of a hat!!!
See you again x

Sunday 5 October 2014

Time to Wind Down?

Well not in the garden, it is still growing madly.
I am full of some virus or other, which annoys me no end. I wouldn't mind if I ate junk food all the time, but I don't. I eat more than my 5 a day and I also take supplements. I was checking bacl through my blog and it seems to be a regular occurrence for me in the autumn. I am seeing the doc next week, so will ask.

Back to the garden. I am afraid this will be a post minus photos as my camera has gone 'caput'!
The patio currently has 2 potted brugmansias flowering madly, a San Guinea & Grand Marnier. The yellow brug, I planted in, is covered in blooms and the scent here is AMAZING!
The pink passionflower next to the tree ferns has just decided to flower, whilst the Cobea Scandons Alba has scrambled all up my neighbours fence and is currently trying to get in the house is also flowering.

The new jungle bed is looking empty, although the plants that have been planted seem happy. I have great plans for this next year.

The flower bed to the right of the veg beds is looking glorious, with sedums, verbena and dahlias all in bloom. I really need to get in and give the bed a good digging over as the bindweed has flourished this year. I am seriously thinking of digging everything out this autumn, getting the bindweed roots out of the roots of flowers and shrubs then digging in some manure.Then replanting, I may employ some help.

The archway that I had intended to replace this year is still standing. I kept spending the money on something else!!! Although one of the jasmines that scrambles over it is looking decidedly dead!!!

The passionflower by the pond is still flowering. The large raised bed had been emptied of plants which I was supposed to redo a couple of months ago but it never got done, so it will wait till next year now.

My pond is as healthy as ever but does need a bit of a 'sludge' clear out. The baby orfe are huge for babies, and if they over winter well, I will probably sell or give them away next year. The Gunnera has not done well this year and I am in two minds what to do with it? If I dig it out, it will mean having to be very careful not to damage the liner, then what to replace it with? The fence panels here are totally rotten, but trying to get the neighbours to do anything about it, is difficult as they have a serious hedge there side so can't see this.

If you remember we dug out the veg bed next to hubbies office and turfed it. This looks so much better now, especially since the neighbour at No2, took out some silver birch trees. The difference at this time of year is huge.
I am in the process of insulating the greenhouse, but its a slow one, with not being well! Hubster is not in my good books as he left the greenhouse doors open last night and we had exceptionally low temps last night!
Well that is all for now, will try and beg borrow or steal a camera for next time.