Wreath time

It's that time - wreaths for front doors, lights for trees and hysteria for shoppers. I thought I would concentrate more on the first one, try and ignore the third one (the image of an ostrich with its head in the sand springs to mind) having already faced the stress of the second.

This year the Daisy Duo took differing routes to wreath making. I stayed with my traditional route, more of which later, but Jayne went off on a wreath making course which she received as gift. It was at Darts Farm Flower Shack near Exeter

Her wreath makes use of a fancy plastic base with an oasis ring and an assortment of florists greenery, flowers and twigs.

 The day course consisted of a demonstration by the florist and then the time and materials to make your own whilst being plied with mulled wine (a dangerous route I would have thought but the results speak for themselves!).

And Jaynes results were lovely.

She used Roses, sprayed & natural Eucalyptus, Viburnum and Ivy...

...Waxflower berries and dainty greenery                        Rosemary and Piers flowers...

...sprayed seedheads and twigs.

BEAUTIFUL!

My wreaths (I have two - front and back door) are a slightly different kettle of fish.

They are entirely my own greenery and use variegated or silvery leaves so that they show up against my dark blue front door and the glass back door. 

Euonymous, Rosemary & Griselinia                     Euonymous, Senecio & Trachelospermum

Based on willow rings made inexpertly by me a few years ago, (the back door wreath is far from round) at Kate's lovely wreath making evening (revisit that festive extravaganza here) I am proud to say that they both cost nothing, aided the pruning programme so badly needed in my garden and, in the spirit of the Paris agreement, have a very low environmental impact. 

Mind you, I think perhaps you can tell!!!!

My front door wreath ended up looking slightly droopy, probably because I started at the top and worked down rather than from the bottom up like last year...

...and the back door is a bit random!

I like to think they have character though, and all without the aid (or hindrance) of a single drop of mulled wine. I think I know which of us chose the right route this year - where's that mulled wine!

Happy wreathing to you all, however you choose to do it!

November colour!

It's November, mild I know, but next month is December, Christmas, shortest day and all that, so I never thought I would be doing a round up of what is flowering in my garden. And if I did I'd have expected it to be very brief, mainly focussing on colour provided by leaves, berries and seeds.

But no, not only have I got a fair selection of summer favourites still flowering but I also have some winter favourites flowering already! They are all very enthusiastic.

   

   

   

Summer purples are still going strong - clockwise from top left - Brachyscome, Convolvulus Sabatius (number 7 in my Feast of Flowers), Campanula, Osteospermum, Erysimum Bowles Mauve, Geranium Sanguineum.

   

More summer lovelies still going, Sunny Rudbeckia (Number 8 in my F of F) and an annual Chrysanthemum. To be honest the Chrysanthemum was distinctly underwhelming during its official flowering time, but now it has got itself together just in time to get frosted!!

   

The Autumn flowering Schizostylis Coccinea has done very well this year, it likes the damp and I've planted it in dryish areas so sometimes it is a bit scrawny and short lived, but this year it's gloriously fiery. Even one of my annual pot Geraniums is having a late flush! All the others are very much done and I'm cutting back and bringing them in for winter. This one is by the back door so we can make the most of it's flowers (and grab it should a sneaky frost appear!).

But then looking ahead - my first Wallflower is out!

   

The Winter Jasmine is appearing and the Mahonia is already dropping...

...and the Fatsia is flowering it's head off much to the insects joy!

And then of course the leaves are glorious - these Cherry leaves are always gorgeous - but I think that should be another post.

Feast of Flowers number 8

Rudbeckia, Cone Flower or Black Eye Susan.

Still going strong in November, this glorious, happy flower is one of my all time favourites. Mine are all yellow but they come in all shades of orange, red, pink and white; single, double and bi-colour. Even when the petals are gone the velvety brown centres remain with their speckles of gold.

They are robust and reliable perennials (in my experience), this one is called 'Goldsturm' and hurls itself around every where.

It cheers me up every time I pass on my way to the gate and brightens up the darkest autumn morning.

Making work for myself!

Bulbs! 

It's that time again - every year I think that I don't need to put any more bulbs in and every year I end up leaving Fentongollan Bulb Farm with a bag full!

Most of my garden still needs clearing, weeding and pruning, some of it needs redesigning and rationalising, the 'to do' list is very, very long so quite why I've added planting bulbs to it I'm not sure. Except that I just can't resist them.

So what have I got this year? 

More Muscari Latifolium. Regular readers will remember I planted some of these last year and they were a success (unlike the Ixiolirion which didn't show at all)

    

The Tulips from last year were half successful, one pot did well, one didn't show, so I thought I would have another go with some mixed pots of Black Parrot and Angelique (which weren't from Fentongollan).

I am replanting some Alium Nectaroscordum, which I planted about 7 years ago and which still appear but in the very oddest places. This isn't because they have moved, it's because things have grown and spread and I have redesigned and adapted things without informing them! So now I would like some that look intentional - although precisely where is a conundrum.

I am trying some Chionodoxa Lucilliae Alba because my Anemone Blanda last year were very disappointing and I thought these might be an alternative...

...and I can never get past the Daffodils without buying some, this year a double, miniature variety called Pencrebar.

I always find Daffodils slightly baffling. They are supposed to naturalise well and grow and multiply over time but mine seem to dwindle year on year whatever the variety and wherever I plant them. But then I suppose it's just as well - if they did spread and multiply as they should I wouldn't be able to move for them I've planted so many.

For the veg garden I've got some more garlic. I haven't bought garlic bulbs for the last 3 years, I have just saved one of my own bulbs and planted that. Whilst that has worked ok, the bulbs I've harvested have got steadily smaller over the years, so I decided it might be time to start again.

So I will go out armed with some slow release bulb food and some sand (sand in the bottom of the planting hole avoids bulbs sitting in water and rotting), and spread some spring love around the garden. Although quite when that will happen I'm not sure (the planting not the spring - spring will almost definitely be in spring!).

So half term has come and gone and I can't help but notice that I have achieved the same amount as I achieved this time last year - there is a pattern emerging and it isn't good!

Birthday Pleasure Gardens

This year has been a big year for the Daisy duo, we've both had a significant birthday and both of us are trying to eak out the celebrations as long as we possibly can! My lovely Daisy partners birthday was this weekend and her celebrations made me look back at my birthday in the summer, the lovely start to the day and the even lovelier location.

For my celebrations the whole family decamped to London, Vauxhall to be precise, for a week of sight seeing and festivities. On the morning of my birthday my lovely other half took me to a hidden gem of Vauxhall, less than 2 minutes walk from the main road/huge roundabout/bus station/train and tube interchange looking like this...

(you get the picture - not picturesque!),

to Bonnington Square which looks like this...

Bonnington Square is a tiny square built around a central space and in 1994 the derelict space was taken on by the residents, who set up the Bonnington Square Garden Association and reclaimed the space for a community garden.

Inspired by the historic Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens which was just north of here, it aims to provide a space for children to play and a refuge from the inner city chaos.

A sanctuary squeezed in between the bustle!

It is packed with lush greenery and tropical planting...

stately Silver Birches...

silvery Eryngiums and Melianthus major...

and a wheel from an 1880's Marble factory that was demolished nearby.

Having set up the garden the Association decided to extend their plans and so started on the Paradise Project, a plan to plant in every available space! So all the house fronts and tree pits are also festooned with plants All this, and the garden, is maintained by the residents with no funding other than what they raise themselves!

The houses don't have front gardens, but almost all of them have pots and grow bags and window boxes. And as if that wasn't enough to make me love it - on one corner was the sweetest Italian Cafe - open for birthday breakfast...

and the most glorious fresh, warm croissants!

I didn't manage a shot without grabbing hands, there is only a certain amount of garden related shenanigans a teenage boy can stand before breakfast!

A perfect start to my perfect day!

So here's wishing Jayne ever lovely gardens and yummy croissants with gorgeous family on her big day - Happy Birthday!

Footnote.

Towards the end of our stay in Vauxhall, whilst wandering around the backstreets, we discovered this fantastic vertical garden.

Hidden in a not very inspiring street and looking lush and lovely...

I spied Bergenia, Achemilla mollis, Heuchera, a myriad of ferns and so much more.

I was very impressed by the greening of Vauxhall, long may it continue and hopefully the beautiful areas already there will eventually join up.