French Marigold

I actually ventured outside today to try and plant some bulbs.That was the plan..
I needed to clear some of the dead and dying back plants to make some room.
That took me most of the afternoon untill the light faded.The rain poured on me too.
I cleaned the pots up, cleared the debris of a frenetic summer, and made some room.
Tomorrow I will plant the spring bulbs and trim the Viburnum back.
I uncovered plants that will grow back next year. Agastache, Verbena Bonarensis, and Sedum, all growing strongly at the base of the plant under the wilted stems.
The Heathers all need replacing.They had got leggy and wooden.The Lavender too has been removed, and the Teasel.
I found two surviving Hellebores that might flower by Xmas, the Christmas Roses.
Gardening jobs always take longer than you might think. I always under estimate how much time it will take me to do the jobs i set myself.
It was nice to get outside and get dirt under my fingernails, after an energy dip with the shorter daylight hours.
I had topped up my sunlight levels so much this year, when it gets cold and dark it must shock the body and spirit.
Growth at the base of plants, the buds on the Lilac Tree and the Raspberry cane, and an early spring bulb protuding means that even though its dark the garden is preparing for next year.The best growing season ever i hope!!

Rose

A Rose in November is a lovely sight.The rest of the garden is starting to go into the winter slumber.Only the Viburnum Tinus continues with its mixture of flower buds, flowers, and blue/black berrys.
As usual I am late planting the spring bulbs.Its always too enticing to stay indoors and look outside when its bitterly cold.
The dying back garden has a rugged wild charm, and I am loathe to cut it all back just yet.
The seed heads have formed on some plants and they will look stunning when covered with icy frosts or snow.
This Fred Loads has a few more buds on it yet, so this may not be the last Rose of 2008.

Hils Flowers

The Chrysanthenums in flower at last, bought by Hils for me from the Autumn flower show. I love the colours that seem to spin outwards from the centre of the flowers.
Its getting dark around 5pm and its been cold with some artic air blasting the UK with cold temperatures and snow.
These are the last flowers from the summer to bloom.They are gorgeous!
The wind and rain have knocked them about in the garden.I bought more bird food to keep the feeders topped up.
I'm off work for a week so I can see what Birds are coming into the garden...

An 1851 Export

I got a comment from Jenn about House Sparrows saying if they ever died out here that we could import them back from the USA.
I did some google research and sure enough the Europeans had introduced them to the USA in 1851 in Brooklyn, New York.
Eight pairs to start (sixteen birds).They can have upto five clutches per year of between two to five eggs.That means the eight pairs could have made two hundred youngsters in the first year. If year on year they continued that prodigous growth rate no wander they have spread like wildfire.
They were also subsequently released in Cincinatti over a period of three years, and across other States including California in 1910. I think they were used as a pest control, but before the understanding of Ecology. They have spread across the United States at the expense of the native Birds.
The House Sparrow (also called English Sparrow to distinguish it from the native American Sparrow) is one of three birds not protected by US law. The other two baddies are the European Starling and Rock Pidgeon, also both introduced from Europe.
The photo is of a female House Sparrow.I have them in the garden most days. Its strange to think these birds that are in decline here in the UK, are thriving across the Atlantic and are the bad guys to American birds.

House Guest

The humble House Sparrow has been in the news here with the story that there numbers are declining around certain parts of the UK.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7738798.stm
The experts attribute the fall in numbers due to changes within the gardens here. Modern garden design (think decking and patios), continued urban development, and the loss of Tree's were all mentioned as contributing.
Less green plants mean less insects.
The RSPB thinks that the lack of insects means that the baby House Sparrows do not grow into maturity.
The good news for brown thumbs is that if you're garden is slightly wild and unkempt that you will probably have House Sparrows. Overgrown gardens attract spiders and insects, the House Sparrows baby bird food..
During the Summer I had upto thirty House and Wood Sparrows dive bombing my feeders. I used my Parisian photo of the Notre Dame House Sparrow (thats a big house to live next to!).
I have seen a few today in the garden. I have not cut the privet hedge like the people on either side of me. I reasoned that the birds like some cover to execute their daily raids on my feeders, so they can hide and watch the garden.
I do enjoy the Birds visiting my garden. It is one of the greatest simple pleasures watching them from the kitchen door with a cup of coffee and a camera.

November Colour

The Amaryllis bulb yesterday in the window behind the computer. It has grown a long two foot stem and the flower buds were wrapped up like xmas presents. They have started to split into four seperate buds. The base has another flower packet pushing its way up.

Today it has opened the first flower. The colour is gorgeous red and white, with lime green splashes in the centre around the base of the stamen.
The bulb was bought from the Autumn flower show. It is twice the size of the other bulb, and has flowered first. The woolworths bulb has grown leaves only so far despite being repotted.
In these cold grey November days this flower has cheered me up.

Small Things

The colour of the leaves on my Blackberry bush are like a roman mosaic.The colours of this appealed to me today when i looked for a photo to blog.
I have new batterys for the camera but it was too overcast today to get any good photos.
The November days are short, cold, and dark.It is been overcast as well.
As the Trees say farewell to their Autumn leaves my energy levels dip even lower.I have set myself a new challenge of finding something to photograph in the garden every day that I am not working.
There are very few flowers now, so the mind needs retraining to see the small things.
I saw the garden birds today flying into feed.I must remember to keep the bird food stocked up, and fresh water topped up, to keep them coming.
They are small things too, but just as precious as hundreds of brightly coloured flowers.
The garden is a mixture of big and small things, that give us pleasure in them all.