Garden at the beginning of August - October 2016

August

I got really behind with my garden at the beginning of the month photos this year. Once LO was mobile it was hard to get outside with a camera and take pics, and then get them transferred onto my computer and edited for a blog post. So, this is a quick round up of some of the pictures I took.

One of LO's Christening presents - beautiful flowers, it's a stock called 'Joy' from RHS Wisley.

Beautiful flowers

The OH watering the garden during a dry spell. With some assistance from LO who liked moving the hosepipe.

September
Beginning to look a little Autumnal, and the colours are fading a little bit.

Apples ripening on the standard tree. We did well for apples this year, although they came out quite small - didn't have enough rain at the right time.

Ripening apples on the espalier tree. This is a different variety which ripens later.

The Japanese anenome in all its glory.

One of the fuchsias

The sedums just coming into flower.

Some of the Pyracantha berries.

October
The Japanese anenome border beginning to look very autumnal!

Garden at the beginning of August 2016

Still getting caught up, but at least it is still August!

Lawn at the beginning of th month, with a baby for scale. LO really enjoys playing in the garden, although it's a bit more difficult now she's crawling as it's hard to get on with anything before she has to be removed from somewhere she's not meant to be!

Apples ripening on the standard tree. There are several on it this year, and they seem to be ripening slightly earlier than usual.

Lots of apples on the espalier tree. This one is further behind the standard, and produced a lot of apples, which I was a bit late thinning so they are all still rather small and green looking. I have hung CDs up already in the hope of protecting the crop from the squirrels this year...

Looking over the raised bed by the Golden rod and Physocarpus. These have grown really tall this year with all the wet weather earlier in the year.

A new plant! This is Salvia 'Joy', which was a Christening present for LO. I had fun deciding where to plant it for her. There was also a cardboard container shaped like a hand grenade which was a "wildflower bom", which we're going to have fun throwing into the border later in the year!

And the first lot of raspberries are ripe. Since then we've had another whole sieve full, as well as all the ones LO ate in the garden.

My patio containers. I'm pleased with them this year, especially as there's little I have really done to maintain them.

I held an open garden event and coffee morning two weeks ago, which was a little stressfull to organise with a baby around, but went really well. It was fun to show off the garden to the thirty people who came, and I raised £170 for charity!

A new arrival and garden at the beginning of January 2016

Not much gardening happened in December as a certain baby put in an appearance early on in the month. Little One (LO) has been out in the pram a few times sporting the latest in knitted fashion, and has also been to knitting group twice already. Contrary to my expectations of early parenthood, I have managed to knit about two thirds of one sock since I went into hospital to have her (I was induced; it took a while). Don't think I feel up to tackling anything more complicated at the moment though.

December was mild but rainy, although fortunately we were spared the flooding that other parts of the country have experienced. Everything is still growing, and the OH had to cut the lawn again just before Christmas. I am itching to get out there and get on with some gardening after being too huge to do much for quite a few months. But I think that will have to wait until I've had more sleep.

The mild weather has made the fuchsias start to re-sprout leaves. You just know this is going to end badly when there's a frost.

Our houseplants got Sciarid fly, so we had to put them outside in the hope some colder weather (joke) would kill them off.

The camellia has begun flowering earlier this year with the warmer weather.

Lots of signs of bulb growth already.

And the first hellebore flower - this is one I grew from seed!

What are your gardening plans for 2016? Mine are just to do some gardening...