30th SEPTEMBER

  We were woken early by the loud honking of low flying Greylag Geese going passed the bedroom window.

     The morning was quite misty and damp. Dylan was eager to get inside for his breakfast and a bit of warmth.  Things improved quite quickly though meaning Andy could cut the grass ... I can spend all day working away and make little difference then he mows the lawn and the place instantly looks great!

 I returned to the pond area.  

The earth has been dug over and a few plants and bulbs have been added:

• Red cordyline which I hope is going to dominate that area in a few years.
• Blue Veronica that will self seed everywhere!
• A couple of wallflowers
• Chives
• A small cypress because I like the bright green
• A couple of Verbascums at the back,
• The very sad looking Rhododendron is not quite dead so I am hoping for a Lazarus miracle ... told you I'm an optimist!
• A couple of tiny hostas
• A dark heuchera

I have planted daffodils, hyacinths and irises .... I think there are snowdrops in there already ..... then I threw a few aquilegia seeds around.

All the dead leaves have been raked from the other side so that looks better for now ....!

We are surrounded by trees so in a few days time the leaves will fall in their billions.

Improvements have been made from what it looked like a few days ago ...

... but I will have to wait until spring before the full benefits appear!

The big job of clearing out the pond can wait a few days ... 

Lots of Red Admiral butterflies (or Red Admirables as they used to be called) are enjoying the juice from the fallen damsons ... wonder if they suffer from hangovers?

 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------