NOVEMBER COLOUR ..........

This post is a bit boring if you don't like gardening but I cannot believe how much colour we have in our garden at the moment and its November !!!

I planted these cyclamens about 25 years ago ..... I think that I bought a couple over the years as indoor plants and planted them out in the garden when they finished flowering indoors .....

..... a final bloom on our Hydrangea Annabelle .....

..... Hydrangea Smowball in it's Autumn coat ..... it's pure white in the Summer and changes to this deep red .....

..... Hydrangea Vanille Fraise ..... fading .....

..... Verbena .....

..... this is Parahebe ' Snow Clouds ' ...... it flowers from May pretty much into December ..... you really get your money's worth ! Just cut back after it's first flush is finished and back it comes .....

..... geranium ' Rozanne ' .....

..... Salvia ' Black and Bloom ' .....

..... and this euonymus was here when we moved in thirty odd years ago and this is the first year that I have seen these berries/fruits !!! .....

..... and this Blush Noisette rose is still flowering .....

..... and, finally { non gardeners will be pleased to know ! } my St. Swithun rose that flowers from May until December .....  That is the same rose .... it produces slightly different colours and forms of flowers ..... I really do like to get my moneys worth !!!

XXXX

APRIL in MAY ..........

After a reasonably warm and dry April, we are now enjoying many April showers in May !!!!

Early this week, I decided to throw caution to the wind and plant out my gypsophila plants, despite the fact that there are still two weeks to go until the end of May !!! I know, daring is my middle name !!!! They had all been very happy and warm in the greenhouse and then were subjected to wind and whole days of rain !!

..... now look at the poor little things !!! They have been battered by the constant rain to within an inch of their lives.

Hopefully they will perk up and I will be able to show you the magnificent display that they will make in a few week's time ..... fingers crossed !!!

My sweet peas also took a bashing ..... I apologise to all of you who don't use slug pellets but, I have tried every alternative known to man { eggshells, nutshells, ash and cinders, sawdust, sandpaper, grit and gravel, sharp sand, hair, steel wool, pine needles and copper } and none of them work !! ..... BUT, I have found these that are O.K to wildlife, birds, pets and children and are taken underground by the slugs and any that are left, feed the soil so all is happy and good. 

This morning was beautiful ..... clear blue skies and sunshine but it's now raining again .....

SO .....

All I can do now is to enjoy a bit of hoppipolla until the showers go away.

Don't forget your brollies ..... it's definitely April in May !!!

XXXX

image 1: via ana-lee, image 2: via etsy, images 3, 4 & 5: via me, image 6: via pinterest, image 7:via tumblr

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DOWN in the POTTING SHED ..........

I've been in the potting shed all afternoon ... actually, I've been in the greenhouse but potting shed sounds so much better !!! ..........

I've potted on my Gypsophila ' Gypsy Rose ' .... all 40 little plants which still need protection from the frost so can't be planted out until the end of May. By then, they should be much bigger and look something like this ..........

I'll show you when they hopefully get like the above !!!

We have also bought the garden furniture out of their winter hibernation in the shed ... a sure sign that the weather is warming up !!

Happy Easter everyone ... enjoy lots of Easter Eggs, good food and drink and time with your family and friends.

XXXX

image 1: via noperfectdayforbananafish, images 2 & 3: via me, image 4: via ohthisprettylittleworld, image 5: via umla

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' FLANEURING ' …...

 I think that I maybe the female equivalent  of a flâneur….. 

….. the above photograph of me sort of proves it, doesn't it ?!!!! ….. actually, my childhood name was 'flanno' ….. I just added that as I just remembered ….. makes me even more of a flâneur !!

I've done a great deal of  'flâneuring' in the garden lately ….. our garden is always at it's best at the end of May and beginning of June, and, most of our plants and flowers are way behind most peoples as it's a north facing garden hence the abundance of hostas and ferns.

….. Astrantia 'Superstar' …..

….. wild geranium …..

 

….. phygelius 'yellow trumpet' …..

I cannot tell you how pleased we are with our rusty arch and gate. We bought it at Chelsea Flower Show a couple of years ago and we were very surprised that it was such a reasonable price that we bought it on the spot !! Growing up the arch on the right is clematis flammula which will look like …...

….. THIS ….. in a couple of weeks. I've forgotten the name of the rose !! Hopefully, it will grow over the arch and intermingle with the clematis.

We also bought this bench from the same man at Chelsea. I can't get over how reasonably priced they were considering we were at the biggest gardening show on earth !!!! He could have really gone to town with his prices, couldn't he ?

….. philadelphus …..

I planted this rose a couple of years ago and can't remember if it's 'Rambling Rector' or 'Seagull' ….. I'm pretty sure that it's 'Seagull' and it has been GLORIOUS !!

This photograph reminds me of Frances Hodgson Burnett's 'The Secret Garden'. We have lots of robins in our garden who follow me around when I'm digging ….. I could have done with one when I took this photo !! ….. now, what shall I put in these little old Victorian terracotta pots ?

I shall be glued to the television for the next two weeks as Wimbledon starts on Monday …. here's hoping the weather holds !!

image 1: via kero i am, image 10; via teline, all other images by me !!