WINDING DOWN

To start here is an example of negative phototropism! The orchid roots are growing away from the light - not important just a curiosity?

The swallows and martins are gone.

I have trimmed various shrubs like sarcococcus and rosemary into neat balls. And a box in a pot. I was surprised to see how much box balls were in the garden centres - perhaps a little earner there for someone?

It seems to rain every night and sometimes every day, pools on paths and it is imperative to stay off the grass. Two new areas have appeared where there is standing water and I wonder if old underground pipes or sumps have blocked. More digging ahead.

Some of the sycamores have grey rather than black spots on the leaves. I think this is due to Cristulariella depraedans, a fungal growth.


We are into our first autumn sunsets and the light is definitely less bright. I heard today that the last five years have been some of the wettest on record - I can well believe that - global whatting?

 The stream is full and we have new springs all over the place.

There is still colour in the garden, here the blue salvia Sue gave us before she died and the white cosmos that has turned out to be pink!
The orange oriental poppy is also flowering again.

 We have Bramley apples to our eyeballs - well you know what I mean - a bumper crop. People keep asking me if I want some apples and I have to keep politely declining their offer. However S did take me up on two rhubarb crowns, now delivered.

I have underplanted the big magnolia with crocus shown here. (The little house was made for us by my late brother-in-law Roy.)
I am hoping that they will spread naturally and form a colourful swathe in the spring.

As you can see we are losing the leaves off the ash trees - and we are losing dead twigs and branches in recent gales - it is stick picking up time again.

Flowers are not the only colour in the garden as some of the shrubs are beginning to turn.

R has suggested I get in the pond and trim the water lily back as it is getting too large, however, as I do not have waders and the water will be very COLD I am hesitating!

I have begun to clear and dig over the veg bed, just removing weeds and forking the top surface before a dressing of compost. Then it will be ready for the plants I have to move from by the house for the new extension - whenever that happens. I have not yet worked out where I am going to put all these plants - a new flowerbed - there might be some opposition to that!

And finally we went to Ford Park Apple Day in Ulverston today and took our remaining apples - shown here after washing. They juiced them and now we have some juice in the freezer and some in jars with the lids loose to ferment to cider. 
The tops were not screwed on tightly - I remember as a boy my brother making marigold champagne and the bottles exploding.