Remembrance Day 2018

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Tree following, November 2018

Liz – Here in Lexington, Kentucky the black walnut has shed most of its leaves and the clumps of mistletoe are visible again in the tree’s upper reaches.

     

Last month Lea commented on how she had to wear gloves before touching ripened hulls because of the tannin.  If you look at Hammons Black Walnuts website  you’ll see details of the commercial processing business in the USA for buying and hulling these nuts.

Mike –  There has been surprisingly little change in the medlars since last month.  Most of the fruit is the same colour and many of the leaves still green.  I understand that the fruit should now be picked and left for at least several weeks to ripen (blet) before using.  As far as I know the main use for them is to make medlar jelly.

Last month Liz and Hollis asked if birds eat the fruit to which I replied that I don’t know, although it appears that it remains untouched on the trees. Perhaps they wait for them to ripen and fall before doing so.

Our thanks to Pat, The Squirrelbasket, for hosting Tree following.  If you want to see what it’s all about, and maybe follow a tree, click on the link over on the right-hand side.

Have a good weekend!

The plot primulas

Back during February and March I bought three small primulas – one each pink, white and yellow – from the charity stall at the horticultural society trading shed which I put on the windowsill at home where they provided some welcome colour.  Once they had finished flowering I replanted them in the long planter where they’ve done really well.

 I’d tried growing various plants in this container over the years but I’ve never been very happy with the results, and for much of each year it remained empty.

These plants were initially nibbled by slugs/snails then the leaves got frazzled in the summer but over the past two months they’ve grown and been flowering almost continuously.

  

Last Friday there was a hard frost which sadly finished off the summer annuals that I’ve been mentioning and showing over recent weeks.  After collecting any seed I want the plants will be pulled up and composted. I’ll be doing that during the week which looks like being mostly dry and mild.

Have a good week!

There’s been a couple…

of frosty mornings this week so  yesterday I wasn’t surprised to find the flowers, like these drooping cosmos, looking rather sad and the ground white.

   

Today it’s damp and dull following overnight rain but thankfully the weekend and into next week is looking better with higher temperatures and remaining dry.

 

Karen, whose garden is on her seventeenth floor flat balcony, kindly sent me this lovely handmade birthday card.  I especially like the ladybirds and sparkling water droplets.

 

Have a good weekend!

Thanks to everyone…

for the birthday wishes on the last post.  They’re much appreciated as were the comments by others on Allotments4All, Facebook and Twitter.

The coming months will probably see more armchair gardening and sofa flying/reading posts as there won’t be much happening on the plot now until next March.

I was there on Thursday when I cut all round the edges of the grass paths, which is the job that’s always at the bottom of my to-do list.

This is one of the last roses Pretty Lady which has been flowering since mid-May.

 

I was recently asked if I would contribute to Thompson and Morgan’s free ebook          Little Book of Garden Wisdom which I was happy to do.  It’s now available and well worth reading as it’s full of excellent tips by fellow growers.

Have a good week!

Usually by today,

which is my birthday, the only flowers still blooming on the plot are the asters but this year there are also California poppies, cornflowers, cosmos, nasturtiums, roses, sunflowers and pot marigolds Flighty’s favourites.

I don’t really celebrate it and this morning I went plotting for a couple of hours as usual, making the most of the continuing good weather which looks like ending by the weekend as it’s going to get much colder, although still staying dry and mostly sunny.

Have a good weekend!

After a misty start…

early this morning it’s now another glorious autumnal day.

 

One plant that didn’t do well all through the summer was the hydrangea which despite regular watering mostly looked lifeless with no sign of any flowers, and has only perked up in the last month or so.

Now the leaves are changing from green to red prior to dropping.

 

During the week I cleared the second lot of climbing beans, put away the canes then dug the area over.  That means all three vegetable patches are now cleared and dug, and I’ve already put six barrow loads of sieved compost on the one where I’ll be planting the potatoes next year.

Here’s more flower pictures showing a white California Poppy and some pink cosmos.

   

Have a good week!