Thanks guys. I feel awful really for not posting more often. First I was working from home, so I knew I wouldn't have much time for posting as it is always pretty intense. Then I was poorly with a horrible virus. Then it was the summer holidays - and I just don't have much time to myself when the foster children and our son are about - I actually logged on a couple of times to try and get up to date with everyone's news, but got interrupted and never got as far as posting before I was spirited away to do something else. Then in September, I was under pressure to try and get my landscaping project finished before it would be too late to plant grass seed, which given my troubles doing it in springtime, I was desperate to do in Autumn, plus make space to put all the perennials I had grown from seed and which were busting out of their plant pots. Anyway, it was all done just in time, and now that the rain is here, I am indoors again, so consequently more sociable! And the family are getting better fed (home made chicken and mushroom pie last night - I have to do it from scratch as the shop ones always have dairy products in the menfolk here are lactose intolerant ). In the summer I just live outside, and stagger in at 7pm and bung something from the freezer into the oven. Anyway, my resolution is to check in regularly again, now that life has returned to a more steady pace xx
Don't feel awful Busy Bee - lots of people come and go. There is a poetry site I use that I've barely been on this year. Aspects of our lives change and sometimes we have to move with them. I'm glad you're over your virus
It has been a good year for both veg and flowers. At the moment I am splitting congested perennials as the flowers fade but the dahlias are still in full bloom and I have had a second flush of roses. There never seems to be a point when I put the garden to bed and the late flowers make winter seem a long way off. There is still quite a lot of veg left in the allotment although the beans are finished and I always see something that needs doing so unless it snows I will keep going.
Thanks Fishy. Yes, the virus is a long way in the past now, although my husband and the foster children got it when they went back to school in September, but it couldn't catch me as I had the antibodies. Barbara, I still have lots of clearing and tidying, and putting to bed. I have a poster of an oil painting called 'November roses' and last year, I think we had January roses bizarrely with it being so mild. There were things out the whole time in the end, because the crocuses took over from there. It was a very strange winter really. Nut, you have reminded me that I missed the Nicotianas this year - grew them about three years ago, and they self seeded after that, but they didn't come back this year. Will grow them from seed again next year.
I have loads of work to do as well. I havent even emptied my annuals out of tubs and baskets, let alone thought about planting daff or hyacinths. No rush for tulips, end of november for those. Still lots of plants need planting out.
I did get the wallflowers, some aubretia and some forget me nots in the ground yesterday, lots more to do though.
Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor.
In between heavy showers today, I've just pulled out runners, thrown away tomato plants and emptied all my lovely little pots of various flowers. This time of year makes me very sad! I love the colour, smells, the busy wildlife and the warm-to-the-bone feeling that summer brings. Never mind, Spring will come soon and the fun of planning which flowers to grow this year starts At least I've digging over a new allotment to keep me busy over the next few weeks!
my garden was looking glorious till the winds yesterday. there are still a fair bit of flowers and buds which i intend to enjoy till the frost damages them, then the cutback and clearing begins in earnest
Posts
Thanks guys. I feel awful really for not posting more often. First I was working from home, so I knew I wouldn't have much time for posting as it is always pretty intense. Then I was poorly with a horrible virus. Then it was the summer holidays - and I just don't have much time to myself when the foster children and our son are about - I actually logged on a couple of times to try and get up to date with everyone's news, but got interrupted and never got as far as posting before I was spirited away to do something else. Then in September, I was under pressure to try and get my landscaping project finished before it would be too late to plant grass seed, which given my troubles doing it in springtime, I was desperate to do in Autumn, plus make space to put all the perennials I had grown from seed and which were busting out of their plant pots. Anyway, it was all done just in time, and now that the rain is here, I am indoors again, so consequently more sociable! And the family are getting better fed (home made chicken and mushroom pie last night - I have to do it from scratch as the shop ones always have dairy products in the menfolk here are lactose intolerant
). In the summer I just live outside, and stagger in at 7pm and bung something from the freezer into the oven. Anyway, my resolution is to check in regularly again, now that life has returned to a more steady pace xx
Don't feel awful Busy Bee - lots of people come and go. There is a poetry site I use that I've barely been on this year. Aspects of our lives change and sometimes we have to move with them. I'm glad you're over your virus
It has been a good year for both veg and flowers. At the moment I am splitting congested perennials as the flowers fade but the dahlias are still in full bloom and I have had a second flush of roses. There never seems to be a point when I put the garden to bed and the late flowers make winter seem a long way off. There is still quite a lot of veg left in the allotment although the beans are finished and I always see something that needs doing so unless it snows I will keep going.
Scents are amazing right now, Eleagnus ebbingei, the pink viburnums, choisya, Nicotiana affinis. It's not nearly finished out there
In the sticks near Peterborough
Thanks Fishy. Yes, the virus is a long way in the past now, although my husband and the foster children got it when they went back to school in September, but it couldn't catch me as I had the antibodies. Barbara, I still have lots of clearing and tidying, and putting to bed. I have a poster of an oil painting called 'November roses' and last year, I think we had January roses bizarrely with it being so mild. There were things out the whole time in the end, because the crocuses took over from there. It was a very strange winter really. Nut, you have reminded me that I missed the Nicotianas this year - grew them about three years ago, and they self seeded after that, but they didn't come back this year. Will grow them from seed again next year.
Still lots of weeding to do between the parsnips and the leeks. No end to garden work in sight. Yipee!
I have loads of work to do as well. I havent even emptied my annuals out of tubs and baskets, let alone thought about planting daff or hyacinths. No rush for tulips, end of november for those. Still lots of plants need planting out.
I did get the wallflowers, some aubretia and some forget me nots in the ground yesterday, lots more to do though.
In between heavy showers today, I've just pulled out runners, thrown away tomato plants and emptied all my lovely little pots of various flowers. This time of year makes me very sad! I love the colour, smells, the busy wildlife and the warm-to-the-bone feeling that summer brings. Never mind, Spring will come soon and the fun of planning which flowers to grow this year starts
At least I've digging over a new allotment to keep me busy over the next few weeks!
my garden was looking glorious till the winds yesterday. there are still a fair bit of flowers and buds which i intend to enjoy till the frost damages them, then the cutback and clearing begins in earnest