A Year in The Garden

Another year is almost over. December is ending with a chill in the air, and it is hard to recall that only a few months ago the sun was shining and the garden was in full bloom.

The sweet smelling roses that clothe the outside the back of the house bloomed prolifically.

Gertrude Jekyll

and Mary Rose, 

 entwined with Honeysuckle outside the French Windows and underplanted with Lavender.

The old cottage climbing rose 'Old Blush" had scrambled to the top of the pergola and flowered vigorously for the first part of the summer and then stopped, until a few weeks ago when the cold weather arrived and a few pink roses suddenly appeared as a contrast against the white snow.

The herbaceous border in the centre of the garden was a tapestry of colour,

but I realised that the white border should not be called "white" as the flowers do not really look very white;

the Cornus Kousa Aurora has pale green bracts that turn cream before fading to white,

the heads of the hydrangea Annabelle range from shades of lime green through to white,

and the Verbascum was a beacon to the Bees due to the splodges of bright orange pollen in the centre of the creamy white flowers.

Another first time bloomer this year was the evergreen clematis - Wisley Cream.

The beautiful rose Boule De Neige is most definitely a pure white rose but its buds are tinged with pink.

A white hydrangea in a pot has blooms that start as lime green in colour before turning white and then fade slowly to a faint pink.

Last years Hollyhock Nigra was nowhere to be seen, but the three spires of a pale pink Hollyhock towered over the garden at over ten feet tall.

The seating area in the top corner of the garden.

Waterlilies in both ponds flowered

and I was delighted that the little miniature waterlily in the trough also flowered, (although sadly this year here was no sign of Freddy or any of his relatives).

In the front garden a hydrangea (that for the past two years seemed to be sulking and was close to being replaced) at last decided to produce more flowers, so has been given a repreive.

Bronze Fennel 

and purple verbascum

tangle together amongst the roses outside the windows at the front of the house.

My time spent in the garden was limited this year, but I had even less to spend at the allotment 

and so it is in desperate need of attention.

 Strong winds have blown down the fence and gate, making it look completely neglected and forlorn. However, despite the winter and the cold I have made a start - whilst I wait for help to repair my fences I have been busy planting a new Plum tree and Cob-nut tree. Today I began digging out the old raspberry plants.

Lots more to do - but I do like a challenge and I am looking forward to next years gardening at the allotment! (Although any offers of help will be most welcome of course - I am not as young as I was when I first took on the plot).

 Happy New Year

xxx

Moving On and Moving In

You may recall the arrival last year of The Black Cat?

Throughout the summer the black cat frequently materialised in the garden - silent and aloof, making no attempt to be friendly.

I watched it as it discovered and indulged in the heady aroma of the narcotic Nepeta cat mint.

Then almost a year since it first appeared, the black cat disappeared as suddenly and mysteriously as it arrived.

"Hedge Cat"

Evie was relieved - she was at last able to snooze under the hedge in peace,

and relax 

while soaking up the summer sun.

With the unexpected and sad demise of my neighbour, she has become an official resident now at La Petite Maison and has a cosy little kennel in the summer-house.

"I am not amused"

However, at 15 years of age, and after the horrendous injuries inflicted upon her in 2015, she deserves a quiet comfortable life and as the weather turned colder I broke my resolve to not have any pets indoors -

so Evie now spends most of her time snuggled up, absorbing the heat in her new little bed beside the radiator underneath my sewing table.

xxx