October 2023 Garden

I'm not sure where October has gone, it's flown by. British Summer Time finishes today (28/10/2023) and our clocks go back one hour. It means we get an extra hours sleep, or an extra hour partying 🤭, I know what it will be in my case!

Spring Forward, Fall Back!

The garden is beginning to sleep, leaves are falling and flowers have turned to seed. It's not quite winter here though. We still have some surprises, we saw three Red Admirals when the sun was shining this morning.

This Hydrangea is blue when it first flowers, gradually they change to pink. It's next to our compost bin and is a real beauty.

The Cyclamen continue to flower in the gravel.

The very last flowers on the Japanese Anemones, they have been incredible as always.

This photo doesn't do the Sea Holly justice, the stems are a bright blue. The Ice Plant is still going strong, if a bit spindly.

The flower bed by the ponds. The Curry Plant has survived so far, the Verbena is seeding and swaying in the breeze. The Forget Me Nots refused to be forgotten!

Lastly, the hedge urgently needs attention and cannot be ignored any longer. Its a big job, and in an effort to make this easier for the future, we called on our son for some extra muscle. It's not finished, rain has stopped play, but we are determined to bring the height of the hedge down to a more manageable level. There are no berries on this hedge, it's the best time to do this.

Before!

During!

Not quite halfway.

Looking better, just before the rain!

We really need a few fine days to get it finished! It's blood test day on Monday, and another busy week ahead. We will check for hedgehogs, and will clear the debris daily to the recycling centre.

The view from our back door. Slightly unkempt, and not at it's best, but I'm so appreciative to have it.

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10th Dec 2024, Trees

There's something about trees that is ultra calming. Just looking them, but walking through them is just amazing. They are timeless. When family come to stay we always walk in the woods. It's something everyone should do, I recommend it for exercise and wellbeing. At this time of year, many people are thinking about trees. Our Christmas Tree has been decorated since 2nd Dec, and it certainly helps brighten our home during this darkest month when the daylight is at its shortage. Our tree is artificial, we've had it for years. It's carefully packed away each January and reassembled at the beginning of December. It's decorated with ornaments collected over the years, gifts from friends and family, near and afar, and souvenirs from our holidays We love our tree 😊. Trees come in all sizes 😊 Another favourite tree in our garden is our Acer. It's beautiful all through the year, especially autumn, ...

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I don't like Halloween. It's origins or the 21st Century version. Right from it's beginnings it has been about death and spirits of the dead. I always say I'm not superstitious, but somethings shouldn't be messed with. Halloween, or All Hallows Eve, has been turned from a Celtic tradition to ward off evil and spirits, to a commercial nightmare. I know that many will say that nowadays it's just a bit of fun, but like my fear of spiders, its maybe instinct. Maybe its the near death experiences that TTP survivors have, a little too close to home. Winter in this part of the world brings darkness and cold, something that the Celtic people took seriously. If any misfortune befell them in the winter, they likely didn't survive. For a while the Christian form of All Hallows Eve became a time when the poorest folk would beg at more wealthy folk’s doors for food, in return for offering prayers. Now children are encouraged to trick ...

21st October 2024, Newcastle, Gateshead, Angel of the North

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Porridge for Breakfast, The Ordinary Life of a TTP Survivor

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