October garden

 

In the second week of October, with blue skies and the promise of a warm sunny day, my garden is looking really good. After 9 years of work to shape it into our happy peaceful place, it's an enjoyable easy task to keep it as we like.
Don't you just love a line full of lovely white linen, drying under blue skies.
I am watching the weather, I have two pots which will winter in the greenhouse, they are both still out, so we can still enjoy the plants, there is plenty of room in the greenhouse.
We will soon cover the wooden table and chairs, they stay outside under cover all winter, it must work as the set is almost 20 years old.
As the temperatures drop the smells from the cat's in the summer house next door is not so ripe and I can work in the back corner. So this afternoon, I have very little to do, just pottering around enjoying the late blooms.
The fake grass has worked really well, it's been down for over a year, and our lawn has looked good the whole time, which helps keep the rest of the garden looking good. Plus I have the bonus of hubby not huffing and puffing to keep the lawn in perfect condition (is that a man thing). I know it's not the greenest route for the garden, but for us it works.
I have just a couple of small changes for next year, just small improvements, after all any garden is never finished.

Getting on

I have not finished these, but I soon will be

 This yarn is beautiful to knit with

I made my 1st pair in blue 

 All planted up, just need loads of growth 

 Bird cage looking good

 Plants used

 Strawberries, growing new plants

 Succulents for next year

I am very pleased with my bird cage, I just require the plants to grow, I have noticed the price for cactus and succulents have risen in the past year, even the small pots are now £1 more, from £1.99 to now £2.99, it's the price of popularity. I have added my purchase to my stash list.
Sunday afternoon I spent a couple of hours in the greenhouse, I only require a couple of strawberry plants, the rest will be potted up to send to our local charity shop. I noticed when I walked past the CS, they only had a couple of my plants left, so they can make money, and I pass on the smaller plastic pots.
I did not finish my socks over the weekend, but I will have them done by this weekend. Then I will get going with sewing, I am going to cut some more items out, so I can have a good making day.
My ripple blanket is huge, I will have photos next time, Will loves my blanket, so when he is around I have to put it out of sight, I do have this blanket for him to play on.

Planning

Early birthday gift from daughter

Amaryllis bulbs saved from last year,

all planted for this Christmas 

 Hyacinths

 This Christmas coloured Coleus 

 Reusing old things

 Buds

This post should be titled how to go to a garden center and save money, I met youngest daughter on Sunday for coffee, we had time to walk around. I watched Monty make up winter pots on Friday and loved the results, he used plants I would not normally put in pots. I saw the top plants and cheeky asked my daughter had she any idea of what to get me next month for my birthday, her reply was no. I suggested if she was happy to purchase my gift early, she happily agreed and got me the hellebore and grass, I would have purchased them myself, but I love the idea, I can see them grow every year and thank my daughter for colour in the garden. They are not planted as the tub is still full of blooming plants, but once the frost hits I can redo the contents.
My bulbs and pot for inside are all planted, now I need to see them grow.  The bird cage was hanging in the garden, I was filling it with corks, but it would have taken ages to fill, hubby moved the corks to another hanging bird table which is much smaller. Inside the birdcage is an old cat's water dish, I just needed a plant to go inside, I love string of pearls, but don't like hanging baskets inside the house, so I will plat this up and have it hanging in the greenhouse.
Finally my cactus has more buds on it, it's been moved into my raised bed, so I am really pleased to see the promise of flowers.
Hubby came home Sunday afternoon, with wet clothes, but very happy with his trip out.

Laughter in the rain

Three tea towels

What to do on a rainy afternoon with 3 grandsons

 Latest library book

I enjoyed The Ice Twins 

 I saw this book on Sue's blog

and thought it would make a great Christmas present

Thanks Sue for your post, as always an interesting read. 

The tea towels I purchased last month, I want to make myself a lovely Christmas shopping bag, using the red towels. The third towel I have decided to make two small child's bags, I made Will an Easter bag, which he loves, so again he will have one bag here and one at home, the bag here is full of dinky cars.
Friday was a day with hubby, we sat and read for a while in the afternoon, which we both love, and finally it's something I do without any guilty feelings, for a long time I would want to get everything done before relaxing, and we have decorating in the sitting and dining rooms to get done, but these days I am happy to slow our pace down.
Saturday hubby went off on his motorbike, it's RTTW time, I've been twice before, click on the link to see more, this time he went with his eldest son, and other riders for the Guards riding club, so weekend alone for me. I do love my hubby, but I love home alone time.
Three grandsons spent the day with me, Josh and Sam (who are the two oldest boys, brothers) and Will (our youngest), they all played together, loads of laughter, Pizza and chips for lunch. It was raining all day, very good for the garden, but we were unable to get out to our planned visit to Portchester castle, so loads of cars everywhere,  the sitting room looked like a toy shop.
Today I am meeting youngest daughter for a coffee at a local garden center, I am looking for a hellebore or another winter colour plant to put in my big pot, down by the steps to my greenhouse.