Sunny day outside

Amaryllis time again

 Unexpected flowers on this African violet,
lives on my kitchen window sill

 Still loads of colour in the garden 

 Greenhouse cacti and succulents 

 Carnivorous plants loving the sunshine
these work well in the greenhouse.

 Almost done with the leaves

These photo's were taken on Monday, before the rains came, I spent an hour outside enjoying the sunshine. I am pleased to see so much colour in the garden, my geraniums planted in the back bed has flowered for months, the bright pink is an extra bonus to see each day.  I have a few extra pots on the decking, filled with my birthday bulbs, once these  have flowered in the spring I will add them to my side garden, I would rather grow them this way than try and plant into hard ground in November.
An hour in the greenhouse, where it's really warm, I have not added any coverings to plants as I want them to have as much sunshine as possible, and this is the sunniest spot in my garden.
The bird feeders are now the busiest part of our garden, we both love to watch the different birds who visit to feed. We have managed to keep the huge wood pigeons away, they can clear a feeder very quickly, we do throw seed onto the garage roof for them. We regularly see two squirrels at their nut feeder, they too stay away from the bird feeders, so a happy balance. Hubby has put bait boxes back down in the back corner, not sure what is coming into our garden, but our cat Purdy is down that end watching all the time, a sure sign something is coming into our garden. 
Daughter did not have time to pop in for making Santa on Tuesday, so we have agreed to make them on Friday. Sign class was good, we are doing our own version of a Christmas nativity, it is helping us put together longer sentences, each one has a twist in which is funny, plus we are going to wear costumes and be videoed.

Catching up on real life.

In the garden

This pot all ready for winter months

 Olive bush back in the greenhouse

 Peppers drying in the greenhouse

A few cut flowers from the garden

 My ripple blanket, 

I do a few rows each night, a little bit of normality.

I have sorted the garden, SIL has helped moved all the heavy stuff to their winter home, and we will cover the wooden garden furniture, on a dry afternoon, so no jobs for hubby once he is home.
I have done some ripple blanket, it's simple to do, but now I am going to try and finish the blue socks for hubby for Christmas, I have a few more rows before I pick up stitches around the heel to form the foot. Now my stress levels have dropped a bit, I will sit later and try to do them neatly.
Hubby's operation went to plan, he had 2 days in ICU, and is now back on the Cardiac High Dependency Unit, their care is wonderful, there are more medical staff than patients, I can see his strength coming slowly back.
I am just thinking of everything, ensuring when he gets home there is nothing for him to do, saving his favorite TV programes so we can watch them together. I plan to pop to the library to pick up a couple of books for him. Plus ensuring he has all he needs whilst still in hospital.
The cost going to visit Southampton hospital is huge, the hospital is 20 miles away and not on  an easy route to get to, unless you have a car. Twice I paid £8.50 and once £10 for day visiting hubby, plus the fuel, it was starting to get expensive. The unit nurse gave me a form to allow me to purchase a ticket for long stay for one week, it cost £18, so much better, it has to be used in the car park furthest from the hospital, but I enjoy walking.
Thank you everyone for your kind comments on my last post, it was a huge shock, I dropped hubby at our local hospital, expecting a call mid afternoon to come and get him, so when my phone rang just a bit earlier, I was not expecting to be talking to a doctor.

Planning

Early birthday gift from daughter

Amaryllis bulbs saved from last year,

all planted for this Christmas 

 Hyacinths

 This Christmas coloured Coleus 

 Reusing old things

 Buds

This post should be titled how to go to a garden center and save money, I met youngest daughter on Sunday for coffee, we had time to walk around. I watched Monty make up winter pots on Friday and loved the results, he used plants I would not normally put in pots. I saw the top plants and cheeky asked my daughter had she any idea of what to get me next month for my birthday, her reply was no. I suggested if she was happy to purchase my gift early, she happily agreed and got me the hellebore and grass, I would have purchased them myself, but I love the idea, I can see them grow every year and thank my daughter for colour in the garden. They are not planted as the tub is still full of blooming plants, but once the frost hits I can redo the contents.
My bulbs and pot for inside are all planted, now I need to see them grow.  The bird cage was hanging in the garden, I was filling it with corks, but it would have taken ages to fill, hubby moved the corks to another hanging bird table which is much smaller. Inside the birdcage is an old cat's water dish, I just needed a plant to go inside, I love string of pearls, but don't like hanging baskets inside the house, so I will plat this up and have it hanging in the greenhouse.
Finally my cactus has more buds on it, it's been moved into my raised bed, so I am really pleased to see the promise of flowers.
Hubby came home Sunday afternoon, with wet clothes, but very happy with his trip out.

Back home

Read in the last week

starting from book 1

My garden is still full of colour

 Lovely late rose

 Side beds

 Back bed

 I have done most of my pots

I plan to let these Yew to grow into the shape of this small obelisk 

 Still a few daily raspberries

My Olives are almost ready to pick

I only have a few

I put this chilli plant outside the greenhouse

the last few peppers are turning red.

I have been in the garden for an hour each afternoon, and most of my pots are planted for winter and spring, I have just two left to do, but the plants in them are still blooming. I do have bulbs for the raised garden, that's on my list to do next week.
My harvest is now almost over, it has been a good year for so many plants. I have pruned most of my fruit bushes and added more compost, the blackberry is now cordened along the garage wall.
I love all the colour at this time of year, on the whole I am pleased with my garden, it's looking how I planned.
My raised bed in the greenhouse is good, the plants settled into their new home, Jayne asked if it was permanent, yes it is, I have so many succulents and cacti plants and they have space to be seen and grow. I will bring in my olive and kiwi soon, next year I won't grow tomatoes inside and use my greenhouse for my tender plants.
I have started packing away some of my metal birds, many of them look rusty, which I love, but I still like to protect them over winter. Next week I will put all my blue coloured ornaments into my now tidy shed.
I've not done much crafting, but I have cut a few things out ready for sewing, I plan to finish my socks over this coming weekend, on the whole I am feeling much better, the only sticking point is I don't really want to go from the house. This week I have made myself go out, sign class was good and a perfect place for me to feel good. I did go to our local library, where I am in process of becoming a volunteer for the craft groups.

Blooming colourful

What you doing mum

 Grace follows me every time into the garden

 Flowers in the side bed

 Back bed

 Beautiful Acer

 Chimney under our Magnolia tree

 Beautiful flowers

 Pot by front door

 Pot by garage

 My tiny Olive, just 6-8 olives left on the plant, 

if we get another heat wave, I might get to harvest them. 

I have quiet alot of space coming in my garden where plants are fading, but I'm not ready to plant for autumn and winter yet, as you can see I still have loads of colour.
I have not done much, hubby has had the past two weeks off driving and is home full time, so my normal routine is out the window, he does get bored alot, whilst I have loads to do. 
BUT I twisted my back again, so I ache, which makes doing too much difficult, we did pop to Asda yesterday, I do love their Shades quilted toilet rolls, we also picked up cat food and beer on offer, all important purchases. We found a few other good priced items, and probably spent more than we should, but it's good to get a stock up shop.
Today I'm off to see the doctor, with an ongoing issue, I will mention my back, bet he says rest and painkillers. Later I'm out with my neighbour Chris, we were going for coffee together, but I think it will be lunch.
Later I have a bit of sewing to do, I'm behind, but it's enjoyable so no issues for me, I have an idea for another item for my sisters craft selling.  I'm still enjoying knitting my socks on the magic loop, which once you get sorted in your mind is very easy to use, I found a video on Youtube and watched it a couple of times.

Potty post

Along the side of our house

 By the back door

 On the decking

 Rethink required

 Under the Magnolia tree

 By the back steps to my greenhouse

 Kiwi

 By garage door

 Olive tree, by decking

The pots above show a true walkabout in our garden. I have loads of fruit in tubs along our sunny fence, I did say I would cut back on pots, but as you see they offer a chance to have beautiful flowers and plants around the hard landscaping in our garden. I love to be able to reuse the pots for spring displays as well as summer flowers. Some of them stayed planted the same through the year, giving interest in the winter months. The Olive and Kiwi always go into the greenhouse through the cold spell.