Gardening coming to an end

Been out today between showers emptying pots and tidying after the gales at the beginning of last week.   I was in Dingwall on Monday and Tuesday and when I rang Victor he had been busy rescuing pots and my greenhouse.   It is still standing up in the shed but I dont think it will be able to be put together again as too many of the bits have brocken in the gale.  I will just have to buy myself a decent one.

The gales certainly put paid to some of the autumn colours - the gladiolis, foxgloves and hollyhocks have all had a battering and I cut them down today.   The annual plants have all been generally bagged and the compost bin is full!

Time to start planning for next year.  Been buying the odd bits and pieces for Xmas - Cards Calendars and Crackers.   Victor bought my Christmas Present yesterday but I will not get it until Christmas.   It is something I have been wanting for a while, and we got a discount.  We looked at a new bed yesterday so we will just have to decide which one we are going to go for.

Snowy was in a big fight yesterday - just gone out the door when the fight happened.  He spent the rest of yesterday feeling sorry for himself.  Bit better today and he has been out and about.

Need to do some walking - not done much this week at all.   Still no smoking.  We had a night out on Friday night and I did not even think of it once.   Certainly chewed some gum!.

Some photos:

Still a little bit of colour - Tomatoes tasted good - still 4 to pick! Off for a walk after lunch.

Mid October

Weather interesting - lovely day yesterday and I did do some gardening in between being ill.   Had a temperature and sore stomach which ended with me  being sick half the night - so been in bed today.   At one point Thunder and it sounded like hail on the window woke me up throughout the morning.

Weekend did some more tidying and weeding.  Tesco's had taken their packs of winter pansies down to 50p so bought some and put them in the pots of bulbs.  Trying to decide what needs fleecing this year and what could actually go into my little greenhouse for protection. Need to get that done before we get snow! Also split some primroses.  I have a few pots of plants if anyone wants them that I have split.  They are sitting in a fish box at the front door.

Surprised at what colour there is still in the garden considering the poor summer.  Tomatoes still fruiting in Kitchen window and up to 9 tomatoes nearly ready! 

Snowy doing fine - seems to be managing to avoid his fighting partner! Still catching the odd Sparrow.

 Snowy in background- autumn/winter pansies and primroses

 Californian Poppy  very - late this year

 Rose still blooming

 Christmas Rose - that I bought recently

 Poppy flowering again!

 Gladiolis - lovely colours but getting battered now

 Foxglove

Sedum

A Sunday Walk

Between showers this morning I decided it was time to get back into my walking again.  Did plenty walking in Edinburgh and again since I have been back been busy in garden so a walk was in order today. Following the NHS Lerwick walks decided to do the North Ness walk and thoroughly enjoyed it - very easy walk but also interesting.   I took some photos as usual.

Spent all morning yesterday and part of the afternoon in the garden.  Picked one of my bags of King Edward Potatoes and have decided to leave the other one for a while yet as the potatoes were a little small.   Cut back the Fuschia bushes - split some plants and  replanted getting rid of the rough bits - no use for anyone.  Still need to lift some more and divide but I will get that done another weekend. 

Will also need to start feeding the birds seed - mind you they are frantically eating today - maybe its the wind - but there were loads of sparrows & starlings actually in the garden on the ground as well as in the bushes catching beasties. I keep looking for any unusual birds but so far nothing as yet.  There is a Sparrow with one white wing tip very unusual - maybe it is a fledgling of the part white sparrow we sometimes see that I believe lives around Helendale at the other side of the town.

Looking forward to dinner tonight - Shetland Lamb, Rooster Potatoes, Carrots, Peas, Onion all grown in my own garden - might even put a garlic clove into the mix.

 At the back of the Toll Clock - Skippiedock

 Mareel - still not finished

 Boats at the Shetland Museum

 The Barrels installeds as a memorial for the Gutters - on the other side is the Poem which I have tried to photograph in order and hope that those not in Shetland will enjoy.    Quite difficult to photograph as a I had to stand right against the wall.

Its a lovely afternoon but very windy.  Snowy  just gone out - he will be glad that order wil be resumed tomorrow and he will be fed at a proper time ( 6.30 am) and not anytime between 7 and 10!  He is quite patient but he does try and waken you up and eventually I usually have to give in. Alarm set back to work.

Been doing some crocheting (still practising) but my cross-stitch has been laid aside as it is white on white at the moment and I need daylight to work with it.  Done some this afternoon.

Have a nice day   Elaine xxx



A bit of hard grafting today

Now that I have caught up with the housework, washing and ironing, cleaned out some cupboards, due to the weather I have finally been in the garden!.

Picked my Rooster potatoes from 3 bags, lifted my onions and garlic, and also lifted some carrots and picked some peas.   Quite pleased with all the crops.   Did some weeding and tidying.   Was going to do more this afternoon but got caught in heavy showers - came in and now the sun is shining.   I still have 2 bags of potatoes, some carrots and peas to pick yet.  The Neeps were poor, red onions too small will buy seed next year,  given up on the shallots and binned the tomatoes from the greenhouse.  The ones in the house are still fruiting at great speed.

 Chilean Lantern Tree - see the red flowers/fruits?

 Isn't the sedum just glorious - attracting bees and butterflies

 Gladiolis looking lovely but have had a bit of a battering since

 Asters from seed - not bad

 Pots at front of house - still looking lovely

 Carrots, Peas, Garlic and a lonely shallot

 My Rooster Potatoes quite chuffed with crop

 Onions and some garlic

The back area - still some colour.

Still got some work to do yet - need to cut back fuschias and lift the King Edward Potatoes - some pots to be emptied so hopefully a bit of nice weather over the next few days.  Hollyhocks, Foxgloves still flowering away.  I would like to re-organise some of the garden next year.

A lovely ending to September

We have just had a lovely weekend in Edinburgh with family specifically at our niece Erika's 40th Birthday Party.  Victors big sister from Canada surprised us all!  A lot of catching up has been done by us all, we hadn't seen our nephew Darren either for about 5 years.  

We also went to the National Museum of Scotland which is marvellous.   Also visited Edinburgh Castle, got sunburned.   Weather good mostly but we got rain on Saturday night and Sunday morning was a bit dreich for a while but cleared up to a better afternoon.   Ate lots of lovely food and drank - well I will leave that to everyone to surmise.   Did not have any hangovers only tired!

Weather fairly good before we left - tidying in garden or tidying out cupboards in the house.   Need to lift the rest of my potatoes and onions etc.   Did sow some seeds in readiness for next year in pots - so weather will have helped.  Bit cool today to work in garden not sure I will get out the rest of the week as forecast seems to be bad.   Fingers crossed I get a decent day before going back to work.

Snowy delighted we are home - not much peace today as he keeps coming looking for loves.

Some Photos:


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