Changing colours

The leaves have started to fall around our garden, the magnolia tree leaves go very dry on the tree before they fall, these will need shredding once they drop before going into my mulch bins. The red acer leaves are also curling a sure sign they are about to drop. Behind the fence our neighbours virginia creeper are beautiful colours, it's not a plant I would want in our garden, we are always cutting back roots along the fence. 

I moved my forsythia a while ago, I am really hoping this is just the leaves dying back and not the end of the plant, this is a perfect spot for it, I will have to wait until the spring, I have already put a deep layer of mulch around it's base.

My trio of acers leaves are curling, the red one always sheds first, it's sad to see these colours fade, but on the flip side it's always wonderful to see them come back into leaf each spring.

I adore primroses, they remind me of a great childhood growing up in rural Somerset, the hedgerows were always full of them, I have clumps around the back section of my gardens, I regularly split them. 

The season has really changed here in the last week, the cooler air and no rain is a good signal, these photo's were taken on Saturday before the rains came, my pots were dry again, it's been almost 3 weeks since we had any rain fall, it's still a dry year here. The rain finally came on Sunday much later than stated, it was very wet on Monday, a grey dull overcast day, I'm happy to see the rain, I was beginning to think I would need to water my pots again. Monday was diabolical and its fuel to be extremely wet tomorrow,  so day of housework. 

The heating has finally be turned on, still often when the radiators should be warm, they are not, the house is keeping the heat in, all the work in previous years is now paying off, nothing beats a warm house. Neither of us like the house too hot, I am enjoying wearing my jumpers and socks again, it's comfortable for me, hubby just never feels the cold, I'm not such a cold bod as I used to be.  

Days at home don't bother me, normally I have loads to do, I'm still very undecisive what to be crafting, I was pleased to have made my Christmas cakes, I really must find something to do, I'm spending too much time playing 'arrows' on my tablet.

Christmas cake

 I've used the same cake recipe since the late 70's, the only change I make is to leave out the almonds, thus allowing me to eat some. Here is the 3 main components, mixed fruit and peel soaked overnight in the zest and juice of three oranges, the brown looking sludge is dark brown sugar, butter and eggs, the dry ingredients are plain flour various spices and halved glacé cherries, all stirred together, the flour mixture stops the sticky cherries clumping together. 

Everything is popped into the huge bowl and mixed together ensuring there are no white flour left showing, this makes a huge cake, both hubby and I love Christmas cake. Into a double lined cake tin, with a wet tin wrap on the outside to stop it over cooking, years ago I would have wrapped newspaper around the outside of the tin. Bake for 120ºfor 3 hours. 

Once cooked I turn the cake upside down so the top is flat and start to add brandy, I do not put brandy in the dried fruit soak, I prefer the citrus flavours in the fruit. Cakes need 3 drinks of brandy before they are marzipan and iced, which I leave as late as possible, so the almond paste does not seep to far into the cake. I always trim my slice of cake never eating the edges.

Every year I get this sheet of paper with the recipe typed by me, originally it came from a magazine, I do have a copy on my computer, but it's rewarding to see my messy sheet, things have been spilt on it. I have made notes for cooking times, these have changed over the years as our ovens get better at their job.

The tip of putting the cherries into the flour was given to me by my mum, in senior school there was a baking competition we had to make cherry cake, I followed mum's instructions and won first prize, my cake was the only cake where the cherries did not sink. My prize a huge cookbook, called Colour Cooking by Good Housekeeping, which I still own, sadly it's rarely used, it's falling apart at the seams.

This is my domain, hubby bakes all through the year, but I always make the Christmas cake, infact I make 3, second for daughter and third for brother. Last year I started making mincemeat, which is easy and taste much better, I also want to make puddings, which won't be ate this year, I will do the same as my mum and store them for a year to infuse flavours.

The house smells of Christmas spices, it's warm with the oven on, I cook our big cake first and on the next day the two smaller ones. 

Now to decide how to decorate them, I make all the decorations, daughter and I did a course a few years ago, nothing too fancy. I always use fondant icing, which I purchase ready to roll.

What next

 There was never any doubt to what was happening in this plot, a kidnapped girl and a boyfriend full of guilt and wanting more to be done to find her. It followed two different stories until they meet, where survival is key. Another great plot, a new author to me. Book 72 read this year.

Hubby got another badge for his cushions, I was not convinced it would add to the design, its a cap badge, I could not use the sewing machine, so this is hand stitched, both the material and badge are thick, it was a struggle to attach. Hubby is happy, I still think it doesn't need to be there.

I have 56 fat quarters in this container, all cotton, a couple of sets, one being Peter Rabbit, I fancy doing some hand sewing, not hexagons, I still have a pile after making my sewing machine cover. My problem is I can't just do patchwork without a final project, I do like to have a finished item in my mind as I am working, 

any suggestions. 

I'm bored, nothing much to do outside, I do sit and watch the birds around the feeder hanging in our Magnolia tree, and Lilly as she explores and prowls. I have done loads of mending, just little bits, once I get started I like to get everything done.

I have a cross stitch which is half done from years ago, I can't find the threads from the kit, I'm sure I will have them in my stash. Normally at this time of year I like to knit or crochet, again I have nothing I need, I still have a few pairs of unworn hand made socks.

I am over half way in my 2024 book, my new slightly larger monitor is making it easier for me, I'm not having to resize the pages all the time, just a few less clicks on each book page, it feels so much simpler. 

Thursday evening we went to our local venue and watched a tribute singer to Neil Diamond, I'm not a fan, hubby loves his music, the singer was Fisher Stevens, at the interval hubby said can we go home please, he did not enjoy the show. We have a couple more shows booked this year, ELO and Christmas by Candlelight. 

October blooms

I have had these two chimney pots for years, I love them at either end of daisy flower bed, both with begonias in, hopefully cyclamen should grow through and bloom long after the begonias fade. The daisies are still full of frothy blooms, I did thin them out a bit.

I love my big blooms in pots, one with the dark fuchsia, the red and purple really stand out, I also love the fushia in my raised bed tumbling over my pond, I often have to pick up the fallen blooms from my pond, neither of these displays are hard work, I just feed them a couple times a year.

The side bed is still blooming, so many colours, the nerines are beautiful, I have 2 tall ones and more which are not so tall, some of the french marigolds have been pulled out, the blooms are thinner now. 

The begonia and lobelia are planted in this tub, the rest are all in pots sat on top of the stones, the hostas have completely died back, I have ensured no pots are over the hosta crowns. I do love the colour here.

I moved our olive tree to this sheltered corner by the house, it does get afternoon and evening sun, it is thriving, again we have a few olives in the tree, they stay hard, so I don't do anything with them. In the warmer months there are more pots in front of the huge tub. 

I dug out another foxglove plant growing in my veg bed, its in my greenhouse, I now have 5 plants for next spring, I also moved a clump of forget-me-nots, again self seeded in the wrong place. My Geranium I split into 5 plants are all perking up, I hope to fill any gaps in my flower bed next year with plants created in my greenhouse. 

My pots were bone dry on Tuesday, pansies were wilting, so I got out the hose and watered all my pots and both veg beds, watering in October, its another unusual month in this strange year.

Most of my spring bulbs are in pots, I have so many different blooms and colours, next spring is going to be fun here, most of the pots I had emptied ready for my spring bulbs. It's still a bit early to pot up my tulips.

I am so happy at home in my garden, I have no more plans to change anything, I don't have any space for new things, October so far has been a mild dry month, I'm sad knowing I will soon have less time outside as the weather changes, the garden is a healing space. Soon it will be reading and craft time, things which can be done inside.