watchingthedaisies

The Garden in October 2018

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I have completed my autumn garden tidy up ahead of schedule this year, and it has lifted my spirits no end; I am now sitting back and enjoying the fruits of my labour.

A Painting Project

This little corner of the garden lacks sunlight, and the brown fence added to a feeling of gloom. Out came a pot of turquoise paint, et voila!

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I have delighted in al fresco lunches for the past ten days, amidst a rainbow of colours. It has done my heart no end of good.

Fallen Leaves

Storm Callum downed most of the leaves on my trees, including my lovely Birch:

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It has grown rather tall in the space of seven years, but it bends with the wind, and the birds love it. I have trimmed a few of its lower branches to allow light into the grasses and flowers around its base. I shall be sowing wild flower seeds around it in spring.

Yet More Bulbs!

Every year, I become enchanted with new spring bulbs despite having a profusion!

I now have several containers filled with new babies, awaiting the perfect permanent spot.

Late Developers

In early summer, I sowed a number of wild flower seeds, but they were slow to germinate because of the long summer drought.

These little Nigella were late developers but they are now smiling up at me. Happy Days!

Flowers in Bloom

Meanwhile, a number of other flowers are still in bloom, including Michaelmass Daisies, Calendula, perennial Geraniums and Scabious:

Nerine

However, this month’s star attraction is Nerine, which was gifted to me as a family of bulbs two years past. I planted them in one of my borders but the snails ate the green foliage two years in a row. They are now rehomed in a terracotta pot, and two exquisite cerise flowers emerged this month:

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Jobs for November

Plant Bulbs

Continue to plant spring bulbs in pots or directly into soil until Christmas.

Last months gardening post contained some top tips.

Make Leafmould

If you have trees in your garden, you will likely have gathered quite a collection of fallen leaves over the past few weeks.

Place moistened leaves inside bin liners, pierce a few holes in the bag, and tie loosely. Leave the bags for around two years to provide a great soil conditioner.

Alternatively, add your fallen leaves to your compost bin. If you put them through your garden mower, they will chop into smaller pieces, and break down more easily.

Brigid P. Gallagher is a retired natural medicines therapist, passionate organic gardener and author of “Watching the Daisies- Life lessons on the Importance of Slow,” a holistic memoir dedicated to the art of mindfulness and healing from debilitating illness.

 

69 comments

  1. Your garden looks lovely still Brigid. I’m heartbroken that the silver birch in my front garden looks as though it has died. We have had little rain this year but it seems odd that it has turned up its toes suddenly as it is a good sized tree.

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      • Thanks Brigid, I did a little reading up on silver birches, they apparently have a tendency to keel over and are not as long lived as many other types of tree. Now that I have researched it I can see quite a lot of indicators that the tree has been struggling for some time. Such a shame, but an opportunity to put in something new when this one has been removed.x

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  3. the colours are magnificent and still so vibrant though I notice the sun beams are on a slant now. yes the turquoise definitely is a sweet colour, so uplifting indeed. congratulations on a job that has brought you much joy and healing.

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  5. Brigid, I love your cosy corner and the Mediterranean blue fence along with the pink chairs is so welcoming! Your garden looks immaculate and the Nerine looks astonishing, a starburst of a flower. This year I can’t believe how long the geraniums are flowering and are still producing lovely colour in my pots and borders! Many thanks for all your tips and advice … I needed the reminder to get planting my bulbs! Happy Gardening … and Writing! 😀🌺🌸🌻

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    • Thank you Annika. Isn’t it marvellous what a pot of paint can do? I was absolutely thrilled to see my Nerine flower. It was like winning the Lotto! Bulbs keep shouting choose me… They are such a joy in spring and beyond. 🌼

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  9. totally delightful – loving the colour choices. I have to clear some of the leaf compaction at the bottom of the pond this autumn (it’s getting a bit to thick) but yesterday it was pickaxing out a reluctant stump – oddly satisfying if, this morning, causing my hips to hum the hallelujah chorus while chewing granite chips. Ah me, the joy of the self satisfied ache – part of the beauty of gardening…

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  13. Thanks for sharing your garden with us. My photography does not match yours! I do have lots of flowers still blooming though – roses 2nd flush, delphinium and foxglove 2nd flush, Michaelmas daisies, calendula, Japanese anemones, Snap Dragons, Sweet peas, Dahlias, to name a few. The leaves and berries are looking good, too.

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  21. Your garden looks amazing Brigid and all that work pays off in the beauty of it. Gardening is so healing and therapeutic and I love it as well for that reason and the enjoyment of it.

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  24. Splendid stuff! We’ve been busy planting a seemingly endless number of bulbs. We lost a couple to a pair of far, far too cute squirrels however! We just bought another bag of pick n’ mix daffodils, and are picking up some snowdrops ‘in the green’ come next year. I think we may have an addiction problem.
    Your Nerine has come up beautifully btw, how spectacular!

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  28. A fellow gardener who truly shares the spirit of Mother earth. 🙂 I only discovered the joys of growing bulbs when a friend gave me some freesias. they are amazing! I now grow most of my bulbs in pots so I can hide them in the summer and then bring them out into a prominent location when they start to grow again. I also love NErine. You have prompted me to se if I can find some.

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