I was finally off work today and able to get outside into the garden. We have decided to get a builder to lay down a concrete base, near the shed for the greenhouse to be moved to. When the plastic covered greenhouse has been finished with, I will buy a glass one to sit on the concrete base. I love how the colours of flowers can compliment like the Yellow Daffodil, and the Orange Tulip. Colours can be similar or contrasting. As plants grow they seem to draw the eye to them in certain combinations. I like the colours of these two together.Like a pair of professional dancers together at Blackpool.
The sun was shining today and the sunlight illuminated the Tulips like Chinese Lanterns. These looked like the ones from the Disney film Entangled. I can imagine these floating up, up, and away. The late planted Tulips have grown on really well so some of those may flower too this year. I want my Queen Of The Night Tulips to flower. Fingers crossed!
Growing on in a rectangular planter on the path is this Double flowered Daffodil. It is unique as all the others in the garden are single flowered. At the Autumn Flower Show I will try to look for double flowering Daffodils as they are very pretty. This one is gorgeous to look at.
This was the garden in the top corner at the end of today. We had to move the pots from the side of the shed, and move the full compost bin across the garden onto the path to join the first one. It was full of black gold (Compost), and funnily even some small potatoes that had sprouted from the Potatoes in there. The material near the top that was not composted down got moved into the left hand bin. The stuff that was nearly composted went into the right hand bin.
We are having a concrete step built as well on our path to be able to sit two water butts snugly to collect water from the sheds down pipe which currently just runs into the ground.
I have about five bags of compost fresh from the bin. This needs putting onto the sunken border or into pots. I'm planning on digging a border that runs along the pathway to be able to plant lots of Asiatic Lily's.
I wanted a watering can for the greenhouse, so I bought the Asda children's red watering can with a Ladybird on the side of it. It works though.
I bought a Frog weather station too, basically a Frog holding a thermometer, and a glass tube to measure rainfall. I would love to keep a gardening diary to refer back to. Dates I sowed seeds, dates the flowers bloomed, and so on. I can start recording temperature and rainfall. I had a surprise visitor in the pond today. The planting around the pond has been altered to accommodate the greenhouse base. I had to move a Teasel and a Echinacea. I looked under the water and saw a flash of movement. It looked like a baby lizard..
It dived from the Norfolk reeds roots to the bottom of the pond. He stayed very still and you could barely see his outlined form. It was a Newt and im so proud that we have attracted one to our little pond! I do not know which kind though.
The reflections of the sky, and overhanging flowers. The ripples that move across the still water. I like looking to see if i can see any beasties floating around the water, or walking across the top. It is good therapy after the stresses of a working week to relax by the pond.
We have put the bench now between the Pond and the Strawberries raised bed. You can sit and watch the flowers in the border, the birds on the feeders, or the still waters of the pond.
Tomorrow I will be sowing seeds, planting Lilys in Pots, digging the path border once the concrete base is laid down. I will goto the allotment to plant Potatoes,Onions, and Garlic . We will collect some free manure tomorrow from a local stables.
I have baked some Double Chocolate Chip Muffins this evening. Time to eat one, drink coffee and relax on the garden bench.
There are only three nights until Christmas Day.I cannot wait..the longer nights and colder days have drawn the local wildlife back into the garden.Watching and photographing them is quite therapeutic.I love the Robin.He is very cute,but extremely territorial.I have seen two in the garden but luckily on opposite sides of the garden.For me the Robin is always symbolic of Xmas.
The furry raider that is the Squirrel has been in the garden.I watched as he nicked the peanuts I just put out.He grabbed them then tried burying them in our long grass!He is a natural born acrobat and peanut pirate!His tail is like some mad flag waving and quivering.
The Blackbirds have made a welcome return to our garden.I love their songs,and their chattering alarm calls if you disturb them in the garden.These are probably Russian migrants who fly here for the winter.Olaf we called him last year.
The Goldfinches are back with their beautiful colours,and amazing aerial acrobatics.I love how they can fly at each other in aggressive displays but not actually touch each other.They repel each other by invading their personal space.Their songs are quite sweet,and you can tell if they are hanging around in the trees before you see them.
The local House Sparrows continue to amuse me as they line up on the fence.Waiting for the chance to fly down for some sunflower hearts or fat balls.They are gregarious,very noisy,and quite fun to watch.They have had lots of juvenile Sparrows this year,so they benefit from the all year round food supply.
The Collared Doves are in the garden almost every day eating the seed in the tray feeders,and drinking from the bird bath.
The Lilys in the pot on the decking have started to bloom beautifully.The colours are bright,bold, and vibrant.The hanging baskets have started to bloom as well en masse.There is colour all around the garden.These flowers are all full of nectar for the Bee's,insects,and Butterflys to drink.It is like an flying insect buffet for topping up their energy levels.
The pond has drawn Frogs into it, and some common Newts.The mosquitos larvae have joined the water fleas, and smaller beasties in the clear water.The birds love to hop next to the surface to drink, or to bath on the rocks surrounding the pond.The surrounding wildflowers shade the ponds water, and provide neat hiding places away from hungry predators.Near to the pond there is a rotting wood pile, and a small rockery.Both are providing habitats away from the pond.
This Butterfly was resting on the Cucumber plant in the greenhouse.He is protected from the wind,rain, and predators.He was accomodating in letting me photograph him.I provide food and water for the birds and they visit every day.They give me immense pleasure watching their daily lives outside through the patio doors.Not all visitors to gardens are as welcome.
Over the past few days we have had an unexpected visitor.I found a big hole a few weeks ago under the giant Teasels.I thought a mouse had been digging and that the soil had collapsed.Then the corner of the sunken border wwas disturbed and soil heaped up.I did not know what had dug it up.I thought maybe a Fox or Badger had been digging?
The next few days revealed two heaps of freshly dug earth.It had no insects in it,just stones and unfertile soil.I realised we had our first ecounter with a Mole.The European Mole,Talpa Europoea.This little Six inch Mammal is like a mini-me digger, excavating huge tunnels beneath the ground.This fellow is coming to the surface to deposit his earth heaps.They are small, virtually blind, and have hands like shovels.They are secretive and seldom seen above the ground.Their long tunnels form worm traps for worms to fall into.These provide our secretive visitor with his meals.
I was finally off work today and able to get outside into the garden. We have decided to get a builder to lay down a concrete base, near the shed for the greenhouse to be moved to. When the plastic covered greenhouse has been finished with, I will buy a glass one to sit on the concrete base. I love how the colours of flowers can compliment like the Yellow Daffodil, and the Orange Tulip. Colours can be similar or contrasting. As plants grow they seem to draw the eye to them in certain combinations. I like the colours of these two together.Like a pair of professional dancers together at Blackpool. 
The sun was shining today and the sunlight illuminated the Tulips like Chinese Lanterns. These looked like the ones from the Disney film Entangled. I can imagine these floating up, up, and away. The late planted Tulips have grown on really well so some of those may flower too this year. I want my Queen Of The Night Tulips to flower. Fingers crossed! 
Growing on in a rectangular planter on the path is this Double flowered Daffodil. It is unique as all the others in the garden are single flowered. At the Autumn Flower Show I will try to look for double flowering Daffodils as they are very pretty. This one is gorgeous to look at. 
This was the garden in the top corner at the end of today. We had to move the pots from the side of the shed, and move the full compost bin across the garden onto the path to join the first one. It was full of black gold (Compost), and funnily even some small potatoes that had sprouted from the Potatoes in there. The material near the top that was not composted down got moved into the left hand bin. The stuff that was nearly composted went into the right hand bin.
