October poppy

We still have yellow Welsh poppies in the garden and it’s almost November!

I don’t think they are that hardy, but it’s a testimony to the exceptional warmth we have been experiencing recently.

It’s edges are darkening, its bright flower reaches up to be pollenated by a bee or hover fly. But they are not awake (or alive?), so perhaps it waits in vain? We need to see nature and our damage of it, look closely at the environment and try and turn back some of the destruction we have wrought. Let’s try and do some small thing to help mother nature.

Gap

The gap is, there like a broken tooth. Whoever got in the garden broke down the old fence and broke down branches. I’m fed up because a builder cut our hedge severely last year so he could get a digger down our alleyway. Then the local shop said they were going to put a gate across the alley for security but it hasn’t happened yet. I’m trying to get a builder in to put in some fencing, but he hasn’t responded…. Oh well. We hope our efforts work. But we won’t be storing things in the garden again.

Lilies

Lilies in July

Consider the lilies…. Don’t plant them near the front of plant borders, the pollen is poisonous to cats. They can shed a lot of pollen which cats can breathe in or it can fall on them and they lick it off when they wash.

But if you can plant them safely they are beautiful and showy. But beware of lily beetles. They are big red shiny beetles that can munch and destroy lilies. I’m afraid they need removing and squashing if you want to save the plants.

Pelargoniums and Surfinia

Oh I do like a good hanging basket. This is one from a couple of years ago, I think it was one I planted myself. The red flowers are pelargoniums although generally they are called geraniums. The purple ones are Petunias which are also called Surfinias. It’s interesting how names can be changed for fashion or trademark reasons.

Floating building

A picture I created five years ago. Collaged from an angled view of part of the old spode factory in Stoke on Trent. I love it because it looks like it’s floating in a beautiful blue sky, with patterns of wispy clouds creating a tracery of waves like the tide coming in around the buildings. I should do more….