Berries
Thursday, November 12, 2009
| Author:
Jayne the Dig
Isn't it funny how the Mahonia berries are so similar to the ivy flowers?
What puzzles me though is that all across the gardening media, they say that insects will swarm all over ivy flowers and visit any late flowering plants. I have yet to see a single one. In fact the single dozy bee I saw last Friday bypassed all the flowers and was trying to get in the house through a locked window. Hmm, maybe I just missed them all...
from the top... Rowan, Japanese Honeysuckle, evergreen honeysuckle, (furry friend) pyracantha, Mahonia and Ivy
I'm not sure if 'Winter Flowers' is really an accurate description of these lovelies. However,all of these blooms were picked on Friday 6th November. I just love the colours in this loose arrangement, it seems very romantic and summery!
Sweet pea
Rose
Dahlia
Nasturtium
Verbena
Feverfew
Gladioli
Fuchsia
Penstemon
Geranium 'Ann Folkhard'
Winter Jasmine
(the yellow tube-like flower's name has completely passed me by, any hints?)
See if you can spot them all...
Taken on the 1st November this year
-- Posted from my iPhone
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Dahlia 'Polka' has been superb in the raised bed within J's Corral this year. I took cuttings earlier in the year, having started the tubers in the spring, so last year' one surviving plant has become at least three or four good tubers. They didn't do so well planted in the tin bath, I am guilty of erratic watering routines, especially at the top of the garden. You can see here, the plants are leggy, the flowers were much smaller and fewer in number. In fact, in the bath they are over now.
For the ones in the raised bed I brought them on in an aquatic basket to make it easy to replace the tulips as soon as the danger of frosts was gone. This should make it simple to to replace the dahlia with tulips again when the frosts blacken the foliage. (you can see in the top photo that I have the tulip basket ready to go in, but I can't bring myself to lift the dahlias!) I protected them from my clumsy dog by covering them with large wire hanging baskets until they were big enough to need twiggy supports. But here we are on All Hallows Day, and I still have sweet peas and dahlias in full bloom, maybe I can admire them a little longer!
Winter Veg
Sunday, October 25, 2009
| Author:
Jayne the Dig
Winter is on the way, so we have planted winter onions and brassicas. M gave me some red onion sets (variety unknown) so those have gone in, along with our usual planting of Japanese overwintering sets. This year's crop was so easy, and the onions are really tasty. They are very strong and make me cry, so I have to make sure I have a tissue at hand when I chop them!!
The pigeons and slugs are enjoying the purple sprouting brocolli and black kale (is it the same as cavolo nero that Jamie Oliver talks about?) I put in two weeks ago. I am trying to protect them from the birds with cloches but they keep blowing away. Any tips?
I've also broadcast a green manure, winter rye, to keep the fertility in the soil and help break up our clay soil. Germination has been patchy, so I'll try and sow some more before it gets too cold.
Long nights
Sunday, October 25, 2009
| Author:
Jayne the Dig
Today we turned our clocks back, which brings a little more light in the morning, but radically changes our evening. No more pottering in the garden in the last hour before tea, it's way too dark! I may be outnumbered here, but I do like the winter months. Perhaps growing up as a horsey girl means that I am remembering horses snuggled up in cosy stables in winter, long hacks out on crisp mornings and the like.
Whatever it is, I can't help it. We light the fire, get cosy and wait for spring...!
Apologies to Lee Hazlewood, who actually penned this song, but I heard it first on Mark Morriss' album Memory Muscle. Over recent years, Bluetones frontman Mark has been preoccupied with getting older. (or am I projecting?!) This bitter sweet tune about the Autumn of life was playing on my iPod during our recent trip to Scotland.
'Sling me a hammock tween two trees and dammit leave me be'
This time of year is still full of pleasures for plantspeople, but can be ripe with reminders of the dark months ahead.
-- Posted from my iPhone
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