Snappy Returns

 It has been a good few months since I did a blog post.The wetness of 2012 exhausted my creative garden juices and I took a little blog break.I have blogged for about nine years now I think.I enjoyed Xmas and new year.I have started to get the gardening bug back.The first snow of 2013 has fallen overnight and is falling down now.The birds have been all over the garden today feeding between snow flakes.

 The tall feeder looks blurry behind the snow flakes.I love snow,but I think this will be a few day flurry before it moves away.

 The winter always brings in new birds to the garden.this cheeky Chaffinch has been in the garden feeding every day.He is always alone though.maybe he will bring his family when he has them.We saw a Song Thrush yesterday feeding in the garden.The first one I have ever seen here.I was excited,they are very noble looking birds with beautiful chest speckling.

The old friends the winter Primulas have burst into flower.The white petals and yellow eyes are the only flowers in the garden.I need to get out and start clearing the debris up ready for the Spring.The Daffodils are already growing from the frozen ground.
 I got a leaflet from the Spring Flower Show in Harrogate.That is on the 23rd April 2013.We needed a cold spell to kick start the garden.Its part of the cycle of seasons here to have a cold spell.
  I spent yesterday and today poring over seed catalogues.From Marshall's,Thompson Morgan,and Mr Fothergills.There was too much choice really.
 I will grow Grapes,Tomatoes,and Chillies in the greenhouse.The Allotment will see me move away from traditional crops, and mixing them with new trendy foods.I have ordered small amounts of heirloom Potatoes to grow just for eating.The raised beds and covered paths will hopefully make it easier to maintain the over grown plot.I just need to finish clearing it up.2012 was a year of Royal Celebrations,and Sporting Success, but was detrimental to the allotment and garden.2013 will be an outdoorsy year for me,away from the TV!
  I have also ordered today more Strawberries.The French Mara De Bois which I think Michael Roux Junior said were his favourites.They are a cross between wild Strawberries and the plump English Ones.
  I'm hoping that my Fruit Trees will be productive this year.I want a Bramley Apple or two, and some Pears.I do not know if the Cherry Tree will be under attack again from black aphids and ants.It looks very distorted where it grew.
   I want to go to New Zealand this year to see my Sister,and Nephew.I bet I can find some plants and flowers to blog about from there.
 The RHS flower shows and Great Yorkshire Show are some of my future blog posts too.Attracting wildlife will feature too this year.
 Here's to a productive 2013 for growing flowers,vegetables,fruit,and writing regular blog posts!

Rosebuds And Rain

The Harlow Carr Rose is still making flower buds even in November.It has continued to pour down with rain causing more flooding, and water logging the soil here.I hope that next year is not as challenging as this year.
 We are going to London this evening for a week of relaxation,shopping,and sight seeing.I need to recharge my batteries ready to tackle the garden, and the weedy allotment plot.I need to revamp both places and try new plants,seeds,and varieties next year.The greenhouse needs replacing too, soon.I will be back next Sunday..

Wintry Days

 The cold nights have started now.Since the clocks went back it has got darker earlier and more cold.The bird feeders have become an important feeding station for the garden birds and other wildlife like the Squirrels.I watched Autumn watch and saw short films about grey squirrels burying 3000 lots of food,and remembering 90% of them.Our squirrels do not need to remember much as the food is always there..

 A surprise flower was this exotic looking Toad Lily, growing in the same pot as the Pink Phlox.Only one plant has grown back from last year.These are beautiful Autumn flowers.

The Dahlia Bishop Of Llanduff flowers away still.I need to move the plants into the shed so they can die back and over winter in a dry frost free environment.
 I have moved the Hungry Bin into the shed today to stop the tiger worms from freezing.The cold weather has made them act really sluggish,and a few have died on top.I hope they are better inside a sheltered place until Spring when it warms up.
 Tomorrow we are waiting for the boiler man to come as our central heating has died.I'm typing this with my NY Yankee's top and woolen scarf to keep warm..
  I will do some pruning tomorrow of the Ceanothus,Roses,and Butterfly Bush.I want some hardy plants for our hanging baskets for winter colour and interest.

 It is the Annual RSPB feed the birds day on Monday the 29th of October.I love seeing the garden birds flying into and out of the garden.I try to keep a selection of food and water for them to come into the garden.This Collared Dove loves sitting on the table,the bench,and the fence.There are a half dozen of these slim birds that come to feed.

 The weather is cooling, and the gardens plants are either dying back,or changing the leaf colour.This is the leaf from the Dogwood.In winter we should be able to admire the bright red stems of the decorative shrub.On frosty and snowy mornings it will add colour to the winter garden.

 The Dahlia is making a valiant attempt to flower before the first frosts of Autumn come.The flower is perfect against the dark foliage.I love these.They will need over wintering in the shed again to protect the corms from the frost and wet conditions.

 Flowering away beneath the debris of the other dying back plants this Primula is flowering for its third season.Every year they flower in the spring then die back under the new growth of surrounding plants.Come October they are invigorated and are flowering away.October is a lean month for flowers in the garden.

A late Rose blooming on the David Austin Harlow Carr plant.The Roses have had a terrible year with the wettest summer causing black spot,and much fewer flowers.It is making the best of a cooler period with not as much rain.
  I want to start writing my seeds list out,and order things to grow next year.I want to try out some of the exotic Vegetables mentioned by James Wong,along with flowers, and more fruit trees.Winter is a good time to reflect on the past year,and to dream about next years growing season.

Tuesday Post

   Autumn is here now.The weather has cooled down,and the leaves on the trees have started to change colour.The paths are starting to get filled up with fallen leaves.The Geum Mrs Bradshaw is still flowering in earnest by the Apple Tree pot.The Bronzed Fennel I cut back has regrown to about two feet high with its ferny aniseed smelling leaves.

  The Betula Utilis has grown quite well developing a strong stem at the bottom, which is slowly changing colour from brown to yellow.Hopefully this will change to white in the next few growing seasons.Considering this is a Himalayan Tree it has some very British Caterpillars demolishing its leaves.It is forming the vase shape to keep its size small.It is over six feet tall now.The weeds growing around the base are very lush too!
  The Grapes in the greenhouse are nearly ready.They are now a good black colour,and taste reasonably sweet.There has not been as much sunshine as I would have liked.A winter job will be to trim the Grape Vine,and to move its pot outside to get some freezing temperatures to kill off any mites living in the bark of the plant.
  I watched a program called Great British Food Revival.Michael Roux Junior was championing traditional British Strawberries.Supermarkets only like stocking Strawberries that travel well,and have a long shelf life.I intend to buy more traditional Strawberry plants and to plant them in the raised Strawberry Bed.I also want some Perpetual Strawberries for late season soft fruit.Mine explode in late June and July, then production drops off,If I can get late season plants then I can eat Strawberries for longer.
  The garden needs clearing,and my Spring Bulbs planting.I have Tulips,Aliums,Anemones,and Frittalaria that need planting once I have cleared some space.The seasons keep changing imperceptibly.

Reflections

   These Purple Haze Carrots are the limit of this years harvest.These were grown from seeds sent from the USA.I grew them in two pots.Despite mice attack ravaging the top growth these actually grew okay.I love the purple colouration on the skin.I still need to cook these and have a taste test.

 The Sweet Peas are coming to the end of their flowering.I love the pink and white colours of the Sweet Pea William and Catherine.I need to buy more Sweet Peas to grow next year.I love picking the flowers for the vases and the perfumed scent that can fragrance the conservatory.

The David Austin Moliniux Rose has provided me with a Rose to photograph.It is like lemon sherbet colour with the tea fragrance.I need to buy another Rose to replace the one that has died in the front garden to make the Rose hedge.
  I have been reading the Home Grown Revolution book which is inspiring me to think about exotic crops to try growing at the allotment,and in the garden at home.I think trying new things will make it more interesting,and provide new ingredients for cooking home grown produce.
  I went to look at a lean too greenhouse today which was too tall and wide.I want to replace the plastic covered one at the end of this year.The Grape Vine needs to go to sleep so I can untangle it from the roof,and move it outside to spend the winter outdoors.The lack of sunshine has meant the grapes have not ripened as well as I thought they would.The plastic greenhouse also has problems regulating the temperature with the doorway open all the time.
  I have never grown Grapes so it was a good experiment.Now I want to grow Grapes that are edible without tasting so acidic!The grapes make me wince when I try them and put my arm hairs up.
  I have to go back to work for three nights but after that I will be tidying the garden up,planting Spring Bulbs,and clearing the allotment weeds.The days are shorter,and colder.

Flower And Fruits

 The days are getting colder,and the light fading earlier each day.The garden has been looking more tired with the changing weather.I was surprised to see a lilac flower blooming in the Japanese Painted Fern pot.It is an Autumn Crocus.

 It has beautiful petals unfurling like a Water Lily.It just has the Stem growing up through the soil,and no leaves.These plants can flower in a glass with no soil or warmth.Colchichum they are called..

I harvested these Apples from our Tree.They look delicious and I will enjoy eating them across the Winter.The other fruit trees have grown really well and might fruit next year now they have a lot more growth on than when I bought them.
 I love how red the Braeburns are in the crystal fruit bowl.
  I am off this week so plenty of time to garden,and to get to the allotment.I will plant my Spring Bulbs this week,and start the clear up in the garden.I will try to blog more too.