September Swansong

Oh the garden was beautiful today, colourful, warm, buzzing with bees and fluttering with the odd butterfly.

It was a joy to be there.

Along with quite a few campers.

Anyone who watched Gardeners World last night, will agree with the feel-good factor of being outdoors .... and how great it is for mental health.

Gardening was often my life-saver when I was teaching full-time for 40 years. I can`t imagine life without it.  

We started the session by moving the nursery table indoors, then I planted up the trough with odd daf bulbs and forgetmenots. It looks a bit sad but will soon perk up with all the rain we`re having.

And a very significant moment of the year when the scarecrows come indoors.

The polytunnel is a lot clearer now, though it was hard to take out the tobacco plants and French marigolds.

I cleared the corner of stakes, canes and posts.

How come so much was dumped in there!!!

I took about 3 barrowloads to the cob shed.

Now we have a nice cosy corner for
our teabreaks through the winter.

I picked the quince ....

..... and crabapples.

I intend making jelly tomorrow as it`s going to rain.

 

 The garden is beginning to look neater.

And oh the Michaelmus daisies .... wow. 

How I love them.

 

The dahlias were so popular at the Macmillan Coffee morning yesterday.

 I could have sold them twice over. 

The final job was to cut the willow poles to an even size, bundle them up and they are propped up ready to go indoors later.

A delightful morning.

 

 

Wonky Sunflowers and Autumn Fruit

My craft seems to have a decidedly autumny feel.

Colours and creatures. 

I took several craft packs away on holiday.

Some fine patchwork. Toadstools. Little foxes.

The patchwork I made up into little over the shoulder bags when I got home.

They are perfect for a mobile phone and a small purse.

I, at last used up the last bits of miniature patchwork hanging around since last winter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two of the foxes now have little beds of their own.

Here are the other two. They are tiny.

There are several teds in boxes.

And some teddies with bright scarves.

With hallowe`en creeping up, a few timely makes.

 

On Saturday down at Freshwinds, we pruned the willow arch and spent the rest of the time there stripping the willow and sorting it into sizes. I brought home the thinnest whips and spent yesterday evening forming them into willow rings. I actually made my fingers quite sore but I ended up with 9. 

I am proud to say I needed no wires.

The crop of helichrysum flowers has been amazing this year.

Here are just a few.

 I have made hay rings bound together with garden string.

These I have covered with flowers using a hot glue gun.

What with the apple harvest collected and tomatoes left to ripen, the garden room is very colourful.

The house is full of flowers.

 And of course the wonky sunflowers.

 They just keep flowering and flowering due in the main to being multi-headed and our continuous dead-heading.

After a lovely day in the garden, it was raspberries and yoghourt for pudding. Delicious.

Happy days.

The Macmillan Coffe Morning is being held at Pett Village Hall on Friday from 10 until 1. I shall be having a craft stall there.

Perhaps I will see some of you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Clean Plates Every Time

All through the summer holiday and beyond, my clever brother James, has been enticing his two lovely boys to eat all kinds of foods in a very unique way.

He has always been artistic ....  musically and ...... he has great ideas for make-believe, especially if it involves Lego.

The following blog entry is the wide range of ideas he has come up with over the last couple of weeks.

I think they are amazing.

Sea creatures.

People

Some of the expressions on the faces describe to a "T" how mum and dad felt on some days of the long holiday!!! 

Creatures

 And transport

Two little boys had great fun wondering what was coming each day.  

And what`s more it was clean plates every time.