Winding down for Winter

you have lots of lovely penstemons and mine are also still flowering well.

it has been a lovely day too here and I have been sorting through pots of plants, checking them and storing them ready for selling in spring [hopefully]

I am impressed that you wont cut the grass again, we find ours needs doing in a week or too, unless it really cools down.

Lovely blog, Shirley. You have some attractive specimens still in flower. I have been out today, too, but it's far too soggy to mow the lawn, which looks shocking! Everything is turning black so OH dug up dahlias for me. I have decided to give the roses a reprieve as they're making hips. They usually get pruned but the birds have been wolfing down the food each day already so we decided to leave as many seed heads as we could - until we can't bear to look at them any longer! Your garden makes me envious of all the flowery colour.

Would be a shame to cut back the Pentemons when they are looking so lovely. Like Anget, my grass is much too wet to cut, the mower would just chew at it.

Sbg, apart from edging the lawn perhaps once more, that's it for this year!

Anget, I was possibly too hasty this Autumn with the Rose pruning. Wil you be storing the Dahlias for next year?

Siris, I am not allowed to wield the mower anymore, something I did for years and years with much enjoyment! OH decided to mow it yesterday, despite my saying it was too wet ... :o(

Julia, well done on the mowing. That Parahebe was only moved about 4ft. along as I planted a new Euonymous in that area. If you look at the first photo in this blog, the left side border faces East, so it receives morning sun and is in shade from midday onwards at the moment. I hope that helps!

Lovely garden Shirley, so much colour still, how the seasons have changed over time, I remember when November’s were cold Jack Frost on windows and pea soup fog, you would not think it was November with all those flowers you have and don’t you find one of the true joys of gardening is when you empty the compost bin and all that lovely compost is what you have made and to then nourish the garden with it is just a joyous feeling, I may have said this before Shirley, you have a fantastic garden.

Julien, that's exactly what I said to my OH the other day about Novembers being bitterly cold, frost, on the inside of the windows some times, when we were children in the Fifties!

I feel just the way you do about home made compost, something I didn't expect to be saying when I was younger, ha ha!

Thank you for your kind words re. my garden ... :o)

Loads of lovely colour there Shirley, and yet another Salvia - I am going to have t get one or two if Goyers keep showing such nice ones! Agree about the difference in November now and how it was years ago. It was really quite warm still today and yesterday.

Sad that you are still missing the plum trees - but at least you aren't overlooked, and actually the roof of the house helps to frame the picture.

I never knew Lady Boothby grew as big as that! I thought it was a tender one that was brought in every winter. Its a grand one now isn't it?

Amazing to see you still have so much colour in November Shirley. Yes, the Penstemons and Salvias are incredibly long flowering . . . wouldn’t be without them 🙂.

Lovely blog Shirley, thanks for sharing pictures of your lovely garden. Lots of pretty coloured flowers still blooming away happily. I’ve a few bulb leaves starting to sprout too, have to say I found it very mild yesterday in the sunshine, once the fog had lifted. We are right on the river/estuary.
Your lawn looks very green and in good condition. I’m tempted to do a high cut, but mine is still damp. I’ll check this afternoon.
It’s great you can get the compost out and spread it well amongst all your plants, fantastic with all those nutrients - if I had some room I’d have a compost bin.
Yes, November seems milder than when I was a child in the 70s. I remember lots of white frosted paths and roads, icy car windows and having to wear thick winter woollies before heading out the door.

What a lovely show of flowers you have Shirley. I have Delphiniums starting to flower again! I also had , years ago at Willow Cottage the Fuschia Lady Boothby which I bought because it was my mother's maiden name but unfortunately I lost it when we moved from there.
Parahebe is a new one to me! Is it from the Hebe family Shirley?
I have just my last cut on my main lawn yesterday and now have the front to do which is still damp.
Take care and keep safe!

Sue, I bought 3 Salvias at RHS Wisley Plant Fair in September 2018, Dyson's Maroon, Hot Lips and Black and Blue. The latter lives in a pot in the cold greenhouse over Winter, the other two are left in the ground.

Lady Boothby has been at her best ever this year.

Thanks Sheila ... on a walk to the village post box earlier today I saw a beautiful Rhododendron with two blooms ... wrong time of the year methinks!

Kate, mulch was obviously liked by the birds as they have left bits of it here and there all over the grass ... grrr! Did you get the grass cut or shall you wait for it to dry out a little?

Rose, Delphiniums sadly don't like my garden, even though I have tried often to keep them.

I looked up Parahebe and found it to be in the Plantaginaceae family which includes Digitalis/Hebe/Penstemon/Veronica but I'm no botanist!!

What a lovely garden! So much in bloom still. I do love your arch and I keep meaning to try and incorporate one in my garden. You can see your garden is loved and well looked after, such a joy to see.

Hi Shirley, I guess those pesky birds have been raking around for some juicy titbits!
I decided not to cut the back, but I did do the little bit at the front as it’s quite flat. I’m not sure when to attempt the back grass...it’s quite damp.

Hi Shirley, your garden looks so tranquil with little pops of summer colour still, it's lovely..
You've a smashing selection of Salvias and Penstemons, which I've never tried to grow. I'm planning on trying more Salvias next year too.
I do love the grape vine photo, gorgeous colours and what a treat for the blackbirds to enjoy the grapes too!

Ams, thanks for your kind words. The arch is the third one in about twenty years, first was a green painted metal one, far too flimsy, second was a small square trellis made by our then 90 yr. old neighbour and the current one wasn't cheap, locally sourced, but is very strong and sturdy.

Kate, not only birds but a Fox in the garden last night, pawing through the mulch. I honestly don't know how it got in, either jumped very high over the fence or gate or flattened itself beneath a fence!

Janey, I really like Penstemons, they are long-flowering and need minimal care. In the Spring/early Summer I shall take cuttings and hope they 'strike'. Sweeping up the vine leaves is a daily task at the moment, a pleasurable one though ... :o)

Lovely to see so much colour still in your garden, Shirley!

As a boy in London I was used to cold Novembers with lots of frost as well. Climate change is certainly here as frosts seems to start later every year & the winters can hardly be called that any longer. We'll have to think of them as prolonged autumns & very early springs!

Thanks Balcony ... I like the idea of 'prolonged autumns and very early springs'!

The Penstemons have done so well this year....ours are still in flower.....Peter cut the lawn.....but it will need another one soon.....we did have three light frosts.....but no damage....most of the roses have been winter pruned...but several still in flower....great blog Shirley🙏

Interesting blog about your garden Shirley, there's always something to do.

Thanks Dotty and Hywel ... I just swept up more vine leaves and now feel quite chilly at 3pm ... :o(