Garden Diary – Halloween spiders & goodbye Tomatoes

It’s funny how Halloween coincides with spider procreation. I wonder when spiders and webs became a sign of Halloween? Anyway my garden spiders are very obliging at making themselves visible at this time of year.

It’s felt decidedly cooler this week as we pass into November – I’m sorry but how on earth is it November already, what happened to summer, did I blink and miss it? Despite the cold at least we’ve had very little rain – hurray for that!

Some plants though have positively loved all the rain, including the ferns that have never grown so big and bushy.

The cool weather has also brought some lovely colourful skies, including one evening when I was passing by my favourite tree. It’s a wonky old thing, but somehow it just appeals.

I’ve been bringing some plants in over the last few weeks, and to my delight the pelargonium cuttings started to flower. I should cut them off really but I think I’ll enjoy it for a little while longer.

Also in the greenhouse I’ve harvested the last of the tomatoes, this is now the second year running we’ve had tomatoes into November. We’ve also had a nice surprise cucumber, which is definitely the latest cucumber we’ve ever had!

The other nice surprise was to discover the rose ‘Rhapsody in Blue’ flowering. It’s on a path I don’t use regularly so I hadn’t even seen the buds appearing. It’s a beautiful coloured purple rose that my mum persuaded me to buy, on a hot summers day around 15 years ago. Well it’s clearly quite happy in cooler temperatures too!

Monday 28th October 2024

Don’t you love it when you bring plants inside for the winter & they start flowering 🌿💕🌸💕🌿#MagentaMonday
#pelargoniums #geraniums #pinkflowers #flowers

I’ve just spotted this Geum in flower 🌿🧡🌿 3 days before November dawns!
So many plants this year have been confused dot com!
#plantsoutofseason #Flowers

Tuesday 29th October 2024

These pansies have been flowering since last winter! ❄️
They’ve had a few big chops, amazing value 🌿💙🌿
#tuesdayblue #bluetuesday #blueflowers

This is one of my favourite trees. I think it’s because of its strangely pleasing shape & lovely backdrop 🧡❤️🌳🧡❤️
I photograph it over & over again! #ThickTrunkTuesday #treelove #trees

Wednesday 30th October 2024

To my surprise & delight last Friday, I discovered Rose ‘Rhapsody in blue’ blooming again 🌿💜🌿#RoseWednesday
#roses #flowers #purpleflowers @DAustinRoses

Thursday 31st October 2024

Happy Halloween 🕷️🕸️👻
Say hello to one of my garden spiders, auraneus diadematus 🕷️🕸️
Keep your trick or treating kind & thoughtful 🎃
#Halloween #halloween2024 #spider #InsectThursday

Friday 1st November 2024

Throw back to July for todays #flowersonfriday ☀️💕🧡💜🌿
This small border approx 6’ x 8’ gives me more pleasure than any other in the garden. Go wild! 😊
#wildflowers #flowers #FridayFeelings

Well hello November, not quite sure how we’ve got to you so quickly again 🤔
My ferns have ‘loved’ this rainy year, they’ve never looked so good 🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿
#FernFriday #FoliageFriday #ferns

Saturday 2nd November 2024

‘They think it’s all over, it is now!’ 🌿🍅🍅🍅🌿
November has brought the last few tomatoes, of one of my best tomato seasons ever 🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🥒
#gyo #tomatoes #growyourown #Gardening

Sunday 3rd November 2024

Flowering in #mygarden today🌿💕
Cosmos, Salvia, Primula, Penstemon, Chrysanthemum, Persicaria & Dahlia 🌿💕🌼🌺💛💕🌿 #SevenOnSunday
Wishing you all a sublime Sunday
#FlowersOfX #Flowers

This is my blueberry bush 🍂❤️❤️🍂
It always turns the most spectacular shade of red as well as giving me kilos of fruit.
It’s a 10/10 for the kitchen garden ❤️🍂
#blueberry #autumn #autumncolors