Through the Garden Gate October 2017


The glory in the garden has faded fast in the garden this month. Everything was still looking quite colourful until the remnants of  Hurricane Ophelia and then Storm Brian hit. The cosmos turned into dismal weeds and many leaves were whipped off their stalk. There is however an small element of colour if you care to look........

Hydrangea


Osteospermum


Michaelmas daisy novi belgii


The sedum are still providing a colourful base to the hazel bushes, although a mole that was in a nearby garden seems to have found a new location to create his mounds under these flowers. Do you have any hints to encourage it back into the field?


The nasturtiums continue to roam in each direction. I do enjoy the peppery taste of the smaller leaves in a salad, last year they were destroyed by caterpillars. Maybe this year I will find enough seed pods to make poor man's capers.






The usual views looking more bare!



Most of the leaves of the grapevine have blown away. There are a few bunches of grapes still  hanging that we have left for the birds. On Friday morning we noticed more blackbirds feeding on them than usual and when took Tavi for his morning walk we discovered these birds were rather special.

We met with a naturalist who told us that there was a huge number of birds passing through including flocks of blackbirds that had flown down from Scandinavia.It's amazing to think that these birds may have been feeding in gardens of blogging friends in Sweden and Finland! Obtaining more knowledge about wildlife and growing plants makes me appreciate how wonderful nature is and how we should more time observing it.

What has been the best thing in your garden this month?

If you would like to join in with Through the garden gate each month please let me know in the comments below and I will add your site. 

Comments

  1. Asters and sedums were the best in my garden this month, though both are almost tinished now. You still have a azing colour, Sarah. Love the header!

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  2. We have moles on the allotment, I have no idea how to get rid of them. The only good thing about them is that the soil they earth up is very fine and crumbly. Good for sowing seeds in!

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  3. The gardens are fading fast but you still have colour in yours.
    Even though your hydrangea has almost reached its end, there is still something rather lovely about it.
    I am sure that when I was young gardens at this time of year were completely bereft of any colour at all.

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  4. That bare tree just outside your fence adds lots of visual interest to your garden! There are lots of suggestions on the Internet on how to deter moles. Good luck!

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    Replies
    1. and that lovely steel blue fence as a backdrop

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  5. What Beautiful photo's of you garden.x

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  6. Dear Sarah,

    I loved seeing your garden and all that you have growing there.
    Always love the colours of hydrangeas when they are nearing the end, and good for drying.
    My hydrangea that is flowering at the moment is such a pretty colour and changes over the days.
    Have a great new week
    hugs
    Carolyn

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  7. I love seeing the colors still showing off your garden, Sarah! I have a few red Geranium, and a Hydrangea bush with tanish pink blooms that catch my attention now...and moles are building a city in our yard! May you be successful in re-locating your moles :) xx

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  8. Sarah, about the only thing still growing in mine are the marigolds. I need to collect the seeds and scatter them about.

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  9. Our tea roses and vinca look fantastic right now....and the geraniums and plumbago. I dread the first frost....then we'll take up our annuals and plant pansies to enjoy all winter. That's what we do here in Central Alabama!

    I enjoyed your photos this morning. Your garden still looks pretty in spite of the storms!

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  10. Hot off the press
    http://eefalsebay.blogspot.co.za/2017/10/false-bay-garden-in-october.html

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  11. Sarah: Nasturtiums are one of my favorites,but they just don't do well here: it's too hot. I've tried several times and by mid-July they are burned out...too bad. Your garden is just so lovely! Yes, I would love to join in again with this post:
    http://www.libbywilkiedesigns.com/2017/10/friday-flowers-saving-flower-seeds.html
    Thank you!

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  12. Interesting how similar in climate we are and yet your cosmos are finished. We face south westerly but I guess the trees at the bottom of our garden help to protect from the wind. Must get some Michaelmas daisies. B x

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  13. How funny to find that we both started our posts in almost exactly the same way! The weather has been something of a feature in these parts hasn't it. One good thing.. less leaf clearing this year. They've all been blown away!
    You have held on to more flowers than me though, your garden is still looking lovely.
    Here's my link: https://www.rustyduck.net/2017/10/31/where-did-autumn-go/
    I'm hoping to be a more regular contributor from now on.

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  14. I love your nasturtiums ... They are most obliging plants, flowering away in autumn in Dorset & doing the same in the hot Australian summer, ( most years) Your garden still has lots of colour, and flowers standing upright... Which is amazing considering all the storms and winds you've had.

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  15. Your garden still looks lovely. I like to think of this time of year as putting the garden to bed for a well earned rest. I love Hydrangeas at any stage even when the blooms are faded I think they are lovely to have in the garden - mine are adding that bit of colour still. x

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  16. I've yet to get out into the garden to see what's still growing, but love the look of your hydrangeas. I have to admit that I'm happy to leave the colours of summer behind in favour of all the beautiful winter stems now - I know that we have cornus stems with berries on - I've earmarked those for a winter wreath!

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  17. Beautiful! Lovely to still have some bloom in the garden...
    Have a happy friday now!
    Titti

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  18. actually I have to say your faded garden still looks beautiful!
    Regards, Janneke

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  19. Nice to see the colour of the flowers in your photographs ...

    All the best Jan

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  20. Lovely garden you have. There is still some color in mine with the beautiful weather we are having here. But, it is starting to slow down and time to for repotting and transplanting. Thank you for sharing and have a wonderful weekend.

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