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Food for the Winter
The rosehips have been providing dramatic colour against rare blue skies. The driveway has one long bed of roses and it is the one area of the garden where I seem to have provided enough fruit both for myself and for the birds. I have made enough syrup to last me through the winter, although…
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A Feast or a Famine
The short Indian summer has been perfect for sea swimming and in recent weeks the water has been at its warmest this summer. However, the garden has not done so well and it looks dry and dull before its time. I have little hope of stunning autumn colours as many of the leaves are have…
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Colour – In Spite of Everything
Regardless of the weather there is one truly sheltered spot in my garden – behind a shed. The only acer that is truly thriving resides there, where I placed it on a temporary basis when I moved into the property, but it is now there to stay. My less successful attempts have led to some…
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This, That and the Other
Despite the constantly changing weather there is still a summer feeling to this area of the garden. The Autumn Hawkbit (which opens and closes on a regular basis in response to the showers) provides a sunny contrast to the cosmos and the Fuchsia in the background. It is a nice contrast to some of the…
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An Indian Summer
This second flowering of Geum has produced a dramatic background for a mature Green Shieldbug. I don’t imagine that this is the safest place to be if you need to be inconspicuous, but it makes a lovely picture. This has been a bumper year for Puffballs and Earthballs and they have expanded their territory to…
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Autumn Colours
The autumn colours have been very impressive this year, as this young blueberry bush demonstrates. However, they lost their leaves very quickly as they were exposed to the series of storms that have battered the garden on and off for weeks. By next year, I am hoping that the hawthorn hedge that I have planted…
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Birds and Other Creatures
The pheasants have made their presence known again as they join the foxes in their noisy calls. Now all we need are for the crows to return and the raucous section of the winter orchestra will be complete. The long dry summer has distorted the foliage in the garden and some of the trees changed…
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A Kaleidoscope of Colour
I don’t ever remember Ireland being famous for its autumn colours and my memories from childhood are that leaves turned a dull brown at best before falling. Scotland had the perfect climate to produce dramatic autumn colours and I was pleasantly surprised when I first saw the vivid yellows of the ferns in the lower…