Getting ready for winter.

I've been clearing up leaves again today too. As you say, it is very mild and confusing a few of my plants. Like the new cold frame. I could do with something like that.

Every year I have more plants that need protection in the winter so the new cold frame is great. Living in Scotland I refuse to be restricted in what I grow. I will be glad, Jen, when I don't have to blow the leaves.

Your garden looks wonderful! I do like your cold frame - can't see where it opens?
We've been sweeping leaves too. Sweep them up one day and the next day its as bad as ever. The ash is just about all down now but the sycamores have hardly got started... OH runs the mower over them on the path and then we sweep them up for compost. He refuses t use the lower for some reason!

A fellow-lover of trees! Just wish our drive was that tidy. The big oak tree in our back garden has the biggest acorns this year and, even though one bough was cut off earlier this year, the leaves are cascading down.

I was going to ask how you coped with your fallen leaves but I have just noticed the word "blow" and that answers my question. We have one but it's too heavy for me. We also have a pram-like contraption which I used to be able to push along. Not any longer but it was effective when it worked.

Do you use fallen leaves for protection of plants?

Love the sweeping lawn, so mature, what do you put in your cold frame btw?

What a stunning driveway and lawn, looks immaculate.

Well, thanks everyone for your lovely comments. I will try to answer your questions.
Barry made me my new cold frame with bits of an old greenhouse and tie wraps. It is very light and he put a rope handle at the top for me to lift it off. He has added some bricks inside for the coming high winds. :0/
Once the Fuchsias come inside from the greenhouse, the Hymenocalis will move into the greenhouse and there will be room for the Verbena bonariensis, the Sisyrinchium, the Agapanthus and last year's cuttings that are still a bit tender, in my new cold frame.
This musical chairs occurs every year.
I put an autumn dressing on the lawn and it is looking good.
The leaves are out there again but I have decided to wait until the winds are over before my next assault with the blower.
Happy Gardening.

Taking Monty Don's advice I have been raking up the leaves and then going over them with the mower, after which they get tipped into a wire frame and left for a year or two. I used to collect them in black bags but Monty's idea seems much better.

I've done the same Ginellie. It makes wonderful leaf mould.

I can quite understand you, I do a similar juggling act every year on the balcony as well! In fact, I started just last week & I continued today. Still another day or two before I finish!

Well no leaf sweeping necessary today - the wind has blown them into neat heaps! So as long as it doesn't change direction all we'll have to do when it stops is shovel them up!

How lucky you have been - to have the wind cooperate with you like that!

It's a one- off Balcony! Not only that but the storm broke off several really big branches I'd been wishing we could reach to remove too! Mostly as so it burned beautifully - blog to follow.

I intend to do a Monty Don with the leaves today if the rain doesn't put a stop to it. It takes quite a bit of organising, Balcony. Unlike Stera our leaves like to spread themselves about.

I can sympathize with you as, although I do my gardening on a balcony, the leaves still get in & the Sycamore seeds come whirling in & would start to grow in my troughs if I didn't catch them in time!

We live in a flat at ground level & our balcony is a little wider than those on the 6 floors above us so lots of leaves get blown in when it is windy at this time of the year.

I like your cold frame :)

I have to stop the Sycamore turning into a forest in my lawn.
Thanks Hywel........home made is best! :0)

In our street, there is a row of Sycamore trees & some grass in front of the bungalows that line the street. In the spring there are - quite literally - 1,000s of Sycamore seedlings coming up! Just as well the council gardeners mow the grass every few weeks or otherwise ...

I can only dream of ever having a lawn like that Linda, the joys of having pets, lol....