Garden Diary – Another bizarre weather week

Well, yet another bizarre weather week, starting with the most beautiful day on Monday, so nice that I sat with my elderly mother by a village duck pond. You almost needed sun-cream!

This of course was followed shortly by, yet more rain. I’ve scarcely seen the pond so full of water. And when I opened a new bag of compost, that had stood outside for weeks, it was saturated.

By Thursday it was rather chilly, but gloriously clear again, so clear in fact that most of the country were treated to an extraordinary view of the Northern lights (photo provided by my nephew), except for me! I was blissfully unaware of the aurora borealis putting on a spectacular show above my head. As one friend, that also missed it said, “I’d rather not have known about it!” Oh well, maybe next time!

The cold, clear blue sky days brought the insects out in force, and I was so pleased to have another Comma butterfly in the garden, sitting at the top of one of the apple trees.

As well as plenty of bees, ladybirds and an unusual moth that had got itself trapped in the greenhouse.

Talking of the greenhouse, the tomatoes are on their last hurrah now, but still managed to produce the heaviest tomato of the season. Not the best ever, but pretty impressive all the same.

I got a few more pots planted up with tulips and topped with bright pansies to hopefully keep me going into winter, before brightening up next spring!

Monday 7th October 2024

Hello little snail 🐌 you look very cosy tucked up in my Begonia 🌿🌸💕 #MagentaMonday
#FlowersOnMonday #flowers #snails #begonias #countYourBlessings #mygarden #myhappyplace #lovemygarden #lovegardening #lovegardening #Wildlife #wildlifegarden #WildlifePhotography

Tuesday 8th October 2024

The Catananche & Californian poppies had finished flowering, but they’ve both decided to have another go 🌿💜🧡💜🌿
#TuesdayBlue #wildflowers #blueflowers

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Less tomatoes in the trug each time now 🌿🍅🍅
But this week has brought forth the heaviest tomato of the season. Still not beating my personal record of 716g for a ‘Brandywine’ years ago, but pretty good! 🌿🍅🌿
#TomatoTuesday #tomatoes #gyo

Wednesday 9th October 2024

Over the moon to have had another ’Comma’ butterfly in the garden this week 🦋🧡 #WildlifeWednesday
#wildlifeweek2024 #butterflies

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My cosmos have started flowering so incredibly late, but the bees are very happy 🌿🐝💕🐝💕🐝💕🐝💕🌿
#wildlifewednesday #wildlifeweek2024 #insects #pollinators #countYourBlessings #mygarden #myhappyplace #lovemygarden #lovegardening #lovegardening #Wildlife #wildlifegarden #WildlifePhotography #Bees #BumbleBeeConservation #BeeTheChange @BumblebeeTrust

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Sitting by a village pond in Cheshire, in the extraordinarily warm sunshine on Monday, watching the birds & relaxing with my mum 🥰🦆🦆🦆💙☀️
#wildlifeweek2024 #WildlifeWednesday #pond #outing #ducks #birds #countYourBlessings #Wildlife #wildlifegarden #WildlifePhotography #enjoyeachday

Thursday 10th October 2024

I learned about gardening from ‘the great’ Geoff Hamilton. Encourage all wildlife creating a balance 🌿🐞🐝🐛🌿
#InsectThursday #insects #pollinators #wildlifeweek2024

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I think this is a Silver-Y ‘Autographa Gamma’ moth. Can anyone confirm please 🦋
Found it in the greenhouse 🍅🦋🌿
#moths #Wildlife #wildlifephotography #mygarden #wildlifegarden #insectthursday

Friday 11th October 2024

Good morning. Blue skies & sunshine have returned to North Wales this week 🌿💕💙☀️💙💕
The Salvias are still going strong 🌿💕🌸💕🌿
#FlowersOnFriday #pinkfriday #pinkflowers

Saturday 12th October 2024

I think this is the last time I’ll need the trug for the tomatoes this year, not too many left now.
It’s definitely been one, if not the, best tomato season I’ve ever had 🌿🍅🖤🍅🖤🍅🌿
#tomatoes #KitchenGarden #growyourown

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More tulips planted, topped with cheerful, orange, pansies 🧡🌿🧡🌿🧡🌿
Just had notification that the mail order ones are on the way 🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗
Have a super Saturday
#pansies #flowers #gardening

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Here in North Wales the blue skies & sunshine are appreciated more than I can tell you! 🌿💙☀️💙🌿And so is the ability to garden (gently) again after my accident 10 & a half wks ago fracturing 2 vertebrae 🙏 #CountYourBlessings
#viburnum #BlueSkies #MyGarden #Saturday

Sunday 13th October 2024

Yesterday morning I was planting up my pots with spring bulbs in the gorgeous sunshine ☀️🥵 & snapping these photos in the garden 🌿💕🌼🤍💜🌺🤍🧡🌿
In the afternoon we had heavy rain & hailstones ❄️🥶#SevenOnSunday
Enjoy your Sunday whatever the #FunnyWeather 🌿
#flowers #lateflowers #AutumnFlowers

My Solidago or Goldenrods haven’t exactly thrived since I planted them 2-3 years ago, still only two rods 🌿💛🌿🌼🌿
I’ll see what they’re like next year, then they may have to be relocated #SundayYellow 🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼
Have a relaxing Sunday 🌿😊
#flowers #gardening #yellowflowers

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Happy Gardening.