Garden Diary
October 31st, 2009

Finally, blue skies and sunshine and a few hours to work in the garden.

Out with the snippers and I plunged right into the middle of all the confusion. Cut back the roses, especially the ones that were so badly damaged and have come up from below the graft, healthy and green but with no blooms.

All the sunflowers that sprang up in the garden have served their dual purpose, - first for beauty and then for food for the small birds, so they got pulled up, or snipped off, whichever was easiest. All except for one great potted one that had grown right through the pot and into the soil underneath. I got the pot up out of the soil and Charles managed to get the sunflower out of the pot. We will leave it in a handy spot for shelter for the birds, and any seeds that might linger.

The delphiniums and the lilies gave up their dried leaves and stems, and the shastas. I cut off a few peonies, and by this time the wheelbarrow came into play, hauling everything away to the compost heaping and leaving the garden considerably neater than when I started.

Charles brought some pumpkins around to the front steps, in honour of Halloween, and I hung up a black dress that a witch might wear, and a pointy hat, along with some witches shoes, a black umbrella that would be useful in the rain that came along about noon, and the witch's transportation, = a kitchen broom (the handle of which she flies off of when she gets frustrated....)

I took some pictures of the last of the leaves that glowed in the sunshine, and was grateful for these few hours of enjoyment as we put the garden to bed.

Garden Diary
October 23rd, 2009

The garden is awash in Russett. Well, not really awash, - it has more or less settled itself into these earthy colours - the greens have faded into a soft grey, and the leaves that had an underlay of brilliance just a few days ago have taken on a more sombre hue.

It is still lovely, but oh, so badly in need of a loving hand bearing sharp snappy snippers.

Garden Diary October 10th, 2009

First frost last night. Woke to a -4C temperature, and the nasturtiums all fallen around themselves, devastated by the frost.

Had picked the roses and the green tomatoes and brought the geraniums into the house to winter in the bathroom on the wide sill where the sun shines generously.

The chrysanthemum are still only partially in bloom, - very partially. Hopefully the weather will get warmer again and we will be able to enjoy their beauty on into November.

Here is a rose that got left behind, but weathered the frosty night quite nicely.



The grasses are delicate and subtle, - beautiful earth colours, - a naples yellow, the distinctive green of autumn and an occasional fiery red.







A couple of exquisitely elegant shasta daisies, entirely out of season and so a pleasant surprise.



The sumac, as seen through the curly willow, lend a certain delicacy to the more brilliant colours.





It is time to put the canna lilies to bed, - but first I have to find a place to bed them down where the temperature is just right....it is time to think winter.....