My garden in October

October has been a lovely warm month, I think I read somewhere that it’s been the warmest for seven years, but suddenly this last weekend it changed and now we know that winter is on its way, but until then let’s hope for some more clear and crisp autumnal days. There’s only been a bit of pottering in the garden this month and we’ve yet to put the garden to bed for the year, covering up tables and chairs and moving pots into more sheltered places but I’m hoping that the weather will continue to be kind and we’ll have some time to do that before winter really kicks in.

The garden manages quite well without us and during that time pottering I grabbed some snaps too. This year the cyclamen arrived early, but they’ve also put on many more leaves than I’ve noticed before, so I’m hoping that means lots more cyclamen over the winter and in years to come.

Our agapanthus have had a quieter year this year, with only three or so flowers. The seed heads are dropping off now but the structure of the head remains, for now. I’ll need to cut the stems soon so that the plants can regenerate and provide plenty more flowers next year. We lost a couple of our agapanthus plants this year, I think because they got so wet, so I’ll be covering them with fleece again this winter to offer them some protection.

Yes, more cyclamen. They are slowly creeping around the garden, but I don’t really mind.

The sedums have been stunning this year, the colours are so vibrant. I’m sure there’s a scientific reason which pins this down to the warm and dry summer, but whatever it is, I’m pleased to see them when they’re as beautiful as this.

ANYONE ELSE SEE A HEART?

Strangely the lettuce seems to have come into its own. Yes, in the month when I’m least likely to eat salad I have lettuce a plenty (and don’t worry, that darker green leaf of the left of the picture below, I know that’s not a lettuce, so we’re not about to eat it).

I’LL SKIP THIS TOMATO IN THE SALAD, THANKS

My ‘best’ tomato didn’t survive my week away. It looks as if someone, or something, else had their eye on it too and got there before me. They didn’t get my borlotti beans though, but as borlotti beans were in the meal I ate before being ill on holiday, I’m off those at the moment and our crop is drying to be used as seeds next year instead, as I’m hopeful that I’ll be able to look a borlotti bean in the eye by then.

The pots are doing well, in fact too well. It looks as if I’ve some unexpected Lords and Ladies in with my rhubarb - I thought that wasn’t growing, but now that the rhubarb’s in there it seems to have sprung into life. Typical hey?

RHUBARB IN A POT, THE SMALLER OVAL LEAVES ARE LORDS AND LADIES

And behind the bamboo in a pot that we haven’t used this year I discovered a self seeded and flowering primula. I really don’t mind when plants self-seed, and I’m doubly impressed when they manage to get themselves into a pot too.

ANOTHER OF THE EVERLASTING PRIMULAS, EVERLASTING BECAUSE THEY JUST KEEP ON GOING

The other thing that I have to mention in this monthly update, is the leaves. They’ve started - it is autumn after all - but as you can see it’s going to be something that keeps us busy, until they’re all down.

THE START OF THE LEAVES

Secretly though, I think MOH is willing them down so he can get out the leaf blower again…

What I've read lately, on holiday

It’s been a while since I’ve done a post like this, and mainly because while I want to read as much as I can it all comes down to time, and the amount available. And there hasn’t been much of that lately. But a slow week away in Italy last week provided some of that much needed time, and in that time I clocked up four books which is quite a few, even for me.

I’m the sort that once I get into a book it becomes all consuming and I’ll need to finish it and quite often I’m happy to forgo the routine of daily life, such as sleeping to make that happen, which is something else to be wary of in everyday life, or else I’m likely to re-enact the photo below at my desk.

Photo by Aziz Acharki on Unsplash

What I like about books, as well as the stories and adventure without moving, is the emotions they evoke, and one of the books in this post had tears rolling down my cheeks…

1 The Sapphire Widow, Dinah Jefferies

I’m a fan of Dinah Jefferies’ writing so it’s no surprise that this was the book I started on. I’d read, and loved, The Tea Planter’s Wife previously, and I was hoping for something equally as gripping, and I wasn’t disappointed - I’m not sure I ever will be with one of Dinah’s books if I’m honest. The story is once again set in Ceylon, but 1935 for this book. It’s a story of love and betrayal, but don’t worry I’m not about to share if there’s a happy ending, or not.

Louisa, the central character is the daughter of a successful jewel trader, and that’s the sapphire connection. The story starts to gather pace and (even more) grip-ability when her husband dies unexpectedly. As with all the best stories, there’s a tricky path to navigate, but I don’t think you’ll be disappointed with this one, whether you’re a Dinah Jefferies fan already or not.

2 The Mersey Daughter, Annie Groves

My other go to genre for reading is females in a war time setting, and this book has plenty of that. There’s Kitty who joins the WRENS and leaving Liverpool to do so, there’s Rita who’s sent her children to a farm outside of Liverpool. Rita’s also a nurse and her husband has gone AWOL with his latest fancy woman. There’s her mother-in-law too who has a secret daughter, and there’s the warmth of an extended Liverpool family, and the bombs that rain down on the city.

This is the first Annie Groves book I’ve read, and I’d certainly read more, as there’s definitely the emotional pull in these stories, but this wasn’t the book that had tears rolling down my cheeks as I read, but it came close.

3 The Plus One, Sophia Money-Coutts

It was obvious from the start of this book that it was yet another genre, and one that would easily fit into the chick-lit category. I’ve seen one review online which describes it as jolly, and that’s fair I think. I enjoy a good, upbeat, happy story and this one was more likely to have me in tears of laughter, so this wasn’t the one that made me cry either, but it was a quick and energetic read.

Polly, the main character works for the society magazine Posh! as a trainee journalist, and there’s a feel of Bridget Jones-ness to this book, so if that’s not your thing, this isn’t likely to be either. It is mine, and the writing evokes vivid pictures which I’m sure I’d replicate if I was in the same situations in real life, and I’m thinking the country visits rather than the adult entertainment, before you ask.

4 A Moment of Grace, Patrick Dillon

So if none of the other three on this list made me cry, it must be this one. And it was. This book is beautifully written, and full of the emotion I mentioned before, there’s love, much love in fact, but also raw emotion as it tells the story of Nicola’s last thirteen months; the day of diagnosis when their life changed forever, though to the decision Patrick and their children made to let her go. It’s a story with fight and realism, and tears, mostly mine. There’s also hope, and particularly how Patrick wanted the house to be right for when Nicola returned, truth of an everyday and ordinary life, and how quickly that can change.

Patrick Dillon is an award-winning architect and writer, his wife of 28 years Nicola Thorold was Executive Producer at London’s Roundhouse and awarded an OBE for services to the arts. It’s a compelling read, and more so I think because these are real people and real lives.

And that’s not all, I’ve started a fifth book which unbelievably could be my first Marian Keyes book. I’m hoping that I’ll have some time this week to finish this one, and who knows maybe there’ll be more - I hope so, reading is definitely good for the soul.

Up the ladder, without a wobble

This is one of those lustful garden posts that I make no apology for. Since we saw the Henchman ladders at the home shows a year or two ago they’ve been on my wish list. But no longer, as we finally took the plunge and bought a six foot tripod ladder with three adjustable legs, and I was probably a little bit too excited about it.

I’m a bit wobbly up ladders you see. But when I nominated MOH to try one out at Grand Designs earlier this year, he was impressed too. So when our existing stepladder became even more wobbly than before (and without any extra help too I’ll add) there was only one choice for us both.

The decision really was, what size and how many adjustable legs.

And in case you’re wondering, we went for 6ft and 3 adjustable legs.

As you can see that gives us quite a bit of flexibility. We probably could have gone for a larger size, but we wanted to make sure it went in the shed. But the three adjustable legs are great. Our garden isn’t flat or level, not many are in reality are they, and with the slate beds around the grass this will come in really handy.

What we should have bought at the same time is the rubber feet, not because we need them for the garden but because we both think this is going to be a useful purchase and it’s more than likely that we’ll use it indoors too.

The lowest step is a way off the ground but it’s do-able, even for me, and the extra stability and confidence in the stability are worth it. It’s really light too so is easy for me to move from one end of the garden to the other. I used it at the weekend to tame the out of control chilean potato plant which was growing at least three foot above the top of the fence.

And for a change MOH didn’t have to stay close by while I was up the ladder (I really am that wobbly up a ladder), the only trouble is it’s much easier to cut more down and clearing it all up back on ground level really isn’t much fun at all.

At some point I’m sure I’ll let MOH use our new purchase, but perhaps not just yet.