Another sunny day (in mid November!)

Well, the good spell of weather continues, and there is no sign yet of the long cold winter we have been expecting, though there's nothing to saythat when it does eventually arrive, it won't drag on until May next year !

Anyway, there are quite a few photos this week to make up for the camera's misbehaviour last week, but as usual here are the borders from the potting shed

I'll start by posting up a couple of pics that actually refer to last week. The first shows the stone flag path between the raspberry beds. The raspberry canes were dispatched this week so should be ready for planting next Tuesday.

Not a brilliant photo next, the autofocus still seems to be acting up a bit but this shows the heap of manure and the start of the composting area at the far end of the garden.

The compost heap is being filled at an alarming rate, but with all the deadheading and cutting back of perennials at this time of year, I suppose it's to be expected.

So back to this week. As mentioned, deadheading and cutting back perennials continues - more lupins being dug up, only to reveal fresh babies underneath - these will all go to make the Lupin Wall just below the lower border hedge. I have been marking the perennials, after I cut them back, with smallish canes, but I have also put 8ft canes in alongside the hollyhocks in both the borders and these can act as stakes for when they take off next season.

I have started (not quite finished but close to it) digging over what was the the veg patch this year. This is the west facing border and decisions will need to be made what this will be home to next season. Similarly, the rose bed will need to have a decision made about its' future for next year.

The lower branches of the Garrya have been removed for no other reasons than to let more light in to the small border below it, and to tidy up its appearance. I know I've said it before (probably more than once) but I do like this tree so here is another photo of it!!

All this good weather is obviously upsetting Mama Natures clock, as we still have roses in bud

And even the snowdrops and daffodils are coming up for a look see - though I think they'll get a fright shortly.

As I've mentioned over the last couple of weeks, winter is when the chainsaw makes an appearance and we start removing more of the mature weeds (26 year old sycamore and ash mainly) and clearing sections of the garden. This winter's projects will be thebeech hedge at the end of the garden, as well as the hedge along the bottom perimeter of the garden. The latter is still very much a hedge but has gone a bit leggy as the photo below will demonstrate. Whilst these need to come down, their removal will open the garden up to full view from the road below so it better look tidy from next spring onwards !!

That's it for this week, back next.