All change!

After much nagging, Mr.M has finally removed the rather lumpy green mess some may have called a lawn! This has lead on to lifting all the plants in our (thankfully) small ornamental garden, which meant clearing the veg area to hold the plants. One job needs many more to get it done! Have yet to lift all the plants but we will get there eventually. Then there is the issue of the broken fencing to tackle. One thing at a time.

I am hoping the new lawn will be laid very soon. Three cats and a dogs mucky prints in the house is not pretty! Unfortunately the weather has taken a damp turn, its all about the rain down here so won't make laying turf easy

This Autumn has gone from beautiful unseasonal sunshine to miserable grey almost overnight. Already, work has had to be postponed. Some gardeners will work through any weather, but this can cause damage to lawns and soil structure and you tend to work more slowly. It is so hard to judge whether it is worth getting tools sorted, driving to site with one of my helpers, when the weather is this unpredictable. Thanks to various weather forcasts, decisions can be better made but living next to Dartmoor means it can change so quickly. Always be prepared with wellies!

Heres a few pics I have recently taken while out and about.....

I have had this Pinus Mugo in a pot for so many years. I guess it should be repotted but it seems happy enough being a little bit neglected.

Spotted these Aeoniums while on holiday in Cornwall. Bought a fab small specimen which I then gave to a friend as her garden is much more suitable. Tha was her xmas pressie!!

This bright Pyracantha was growing in our garden when we moved in. The blackbirds will be along soon to help themselves to these plump berries.

Still flowering, still more buds to come on this pretty, hardy fuchsia. I helped myself to a cutting from my local park. Did nothing other than stick it in a jar with water and watched it root. Then potted it on till big enough to plant in a large pot. If you are new to propagation, go for fuchsias, nothing technical here!

This is my favourite plant in my garden, a very bright hardy Chrysanthemum Mrs Jessie Cooper. Wow, does this bring colour to a dull day! Also fab as a cut flower. Love it!

Cotinus coggygria 'Royal Purple', found in my friends/clients garden. Also known as the Smoke Bush due to its fluffy plumes of flowers. Beautiful Autumnal colours.

Love them or hate them, Cortaderia sellowana or Pampas Grass, really are showy plants. The cream panicles of flowers stand proud against the (now gone) blue sky.

Time for a break

Well, we are off to Cornwall for a holiday, which I haven't yet packed for...
better get on with it then!!

The weather has turned a bit cooler now and a bit cloudier, which is fine by me as there is a woodburner where we will be staying :)

Talking of weather,  heres a link to a great photographer and stormchaser I just discovered. His pictures are amazing :)

http://www.extremeinstability.com/

Not sure I want that kind of weather for our holiday! See you soon x

Foraging for Berries

I took the dog out the other day for her afternoon walk on a patch of land near our house. A fellow dog walker was picking elder berries, not for jam, as I have done, but for making cordial for her son who has allergies to various manmade ingredients in regular cordial. She told me the recipe was on a website called Eat Weeds and here it is

http://www.eatweeds.co.uk/elderberry-cordial-syrup

I have just had a quick look and the site looks very interesting :) will delve in more when I have some spare time.

A few years ago I went a bit crazy with making preserves as, like this year, there was such an abundance of free food. Hedgerow jelly was a hit with crab apples, blackberries, rosehips, hawthorn berries, sloes, all free to pick. I have not had the time this year (any spare is taken up with crochet!). I did have a walk though the fields with the dog yesterday and spotted some berries.

Blackberries

Hawthorn Berries

Rosehips

Sloes

 

 

 

Only this morning there was talk of a bumper crop of hedgerow berries on the news

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-29249685

Though not all fruit are doing so well. Two of my clients have very little apples this year - and its not my pruning!! A number of people have mentioned this same issue, maybe something to do with the wet Spring? You never know what nature will throw at you.

Well, there's going to be a lot of well fed creatures this Autumn, including our new addition of a squirrel that has taken up residence in our heavily laden hazel tree. The fella better watch it though, the dog loves a tree rat and I have now discovered Ronan, our big ginger cat, reckons he can take it on, though I really hope he doesn't corner it as squirrels can cause a lot of damage with those sharp claws!!

Get yourselves out there and pick your free food. Just please be sure you know what you are picking.

Pause For Thought

Nearly 3000 people died this day 13 years ago.

The One World Trade Centre is now complete.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-29148536

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-24055725

One World x

Ancient Story

Brown bears on Dartmoor! Not now of course, don't panic your picnic is safe :)
Very interesting article, which was also on tv last week. What an amazing place! This National Park is full of ancient settlements, burial grounds, stone rows and circles, you don't have to walk far to find evidence of our ancestors.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-29067027

A Happy Wildlife Story

It does seem to be all doom and gloom when it comes to the natural world these days, so it makes a refreshing change to read something positive. Heres a small article about  Marsh Fritillaries. Not really 'headline news' but it all helps. we are members of the Devon Wildlife Trust and through joining, we have found many new places to visit on our doorstep. I think all counties have a Wildlife Trust so get in there and discover your local nature reserves :)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-29075113

End Of Summer?

Anyone else getting that Autumnal feel?

I know, its the middle of August, but its tipping down with rain and its cold enough at night for me to look at the woodburner and think of the lovely warmth it offers. Much as I do love Autumn, I hope the weather picks up again, just give us another month!

There's a great little place near me that sells plants, mainly bedding, with an honesty box to take the money. Passed it the other day and he is already selling Autumn bedding, Cyclamen, brightly leaved Heathers and Ivy. Time to think about changing my hanging basket...but no, not yet, still got flowers on my Diascias.

Still plenty of jobs to do this month, one of them being Summer pruning if Wisteria. I have a client whos very vigorous Wisteria has reached the roof of her 3 storey house, now I am OK with ladders, but on this occasion I think I need a volunteer! Apart from the stems you want to train, cut back the whippy current growth to 5 or 6 leaves. This will stop it growing into the guttering, windows or getting too high! Also encourages flower buds to form.

Got Raspberries? Keep cutting back the canes of your summer fruiting raspberries. You can also lift and pot up strawberry runners. I need to do this, my plants need replacing, as they have lost their vigour. It is recommended to replace strawbarry plants every 3 or so years.

Keep deadheading your roses. If you have a rambler, give them a prune now, if they have gotten out of hand and need more drastic work then wait until late Autumn or Winter. Also, give your summer flowering shrubs a prune, such as Hebes and Lavender.

It is time to be cutting grass on a higher setting now that growth is slowing down. If your mower mulches, then do so as the clippings will help with moistre retention.There will be plenty to do for the lawn this Autumn.

Lets hope we get a dry spell to get these jobs done :)