I tend to lose interest in the garden at this time of year and I am ready to start to pull things up and have a general tidy session.
Also I have not had a lot of time to venture out into the garden to do the necessary jobs. My mum, who is 96, had another chest infection in September and went downhill very fast, not eating or drinking. We were told by the doctor not to expect her to live through this one. I sat with her most days and spooned water into her mouth as she didn’t have the strength to sip through a straw. We even arranged for a priest to give her Last Rites, for the second time this year.
On top of that I had just been diagnosed with breast cancer. Actually it is not as bad as it sounds. They found a tiny little tumour on a mammogram, it had not even formed into a lump. After a biopsy I was told it was grade one, and I had a lumpectomy and a lymph node removed from my armpit last week. Mum has not quite bounced back, but is still very much with us and I am recovering well from my operation, with radiotherapy due after Christmas. We are a family of tough women!!
Back to the garden; so you can see why it has taken backstage recently.
The leaves are falling fast from the trees and the lawn is becoming covered in leaves from the Sambucus. When the muscles under my arm feel a little stronger, and the stitches have dissolved, I will be out there with my rake.
The trouble with starting to clear away the detritus is due to the mild weather there are plants in the garden still flowering, such Cerinthe:
Hot Lips Salvia, Penstemon Garnet and even the roses are still in bloom.
However, the majority of the garden really is now on its last legs and in the next week or so the majority will be slowly confined to the compost heap. Leaving, of course, some plants for winter architecture, including the Sedum.
Before last week I made a start clearing the side patio and now the Japanese Anemones are over, I can cut them down, turn over the soil and plant daffodil bulbs.
I noticed the Pieris ‘Forest Flame’, which was looking a little worse for wear a few months ago, is producing lots of new shoots at the base. It’s heartening when you think you may have lost a favorite plant to see it rejuvenated.
I am not too sure if the old wives tale of lots of holly berries is an indication of a harsh winter. My holly tree has more berries on it this year than I remember from last years, so we shall see.
There will not be so much to show when it comes to the November EOMV but I will take great pleasure in reading other contributors blogs from around the world who will be just starting their spring. Thank you Helen from Patient Gardener https://patientgardener.wordpress.com for hosting this exceptionally useful monthly meme.
