November, even a mild one as we are having in Southern England, usually makes its winters credentials apparent, through mists and murky skies, and this has been no exception.
The infrastructure projects have slowed: the new terracing is done, the repointing of the York stone pavers complete and the preparatory works for a new water capture project all in hand, though the specialist we were hoping to meet to discuss the options seems to have come into his or her own little lockdown isolation. I’m not sure what that means, given we need to have done everything before the big wedding push next year or postpone it until the next autumn. I expect we will have a plan over the next month.
Meanwhile there has been continued colour. Come plants have gone off piste in terms of seasons and everywhere is pretty ordered. The two beds that will frame any marquee next year have been seeded with poppies for some spring colour. These will then be ripped out and the beds replaced with the chosen wedding plants. So far so good as the poppies are already established and should survive whatever winter we now have.
And we’re building a new shed. The corner of the working. Compound has been cleared and the ground levelled and the shed panels creosoted.
I’d forgotten how persistent a smell is creosote. It must be touch a go whether being a fence creosoter or a fish gutter is the least likely career to encourage an intimate relationship. I wore all the masks etc yet it took a good three baths to begin to suppress the smell. Yuk!
Here are a few pics, randomly selected
And one or two of dog…., some from the children that were taken last Christmas and have only just seen the light of day…
TanGental 
Dog! You is hot stuff!!
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Oh cover his ears, you flatterer…
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Dog looks very comfy. I won´t show that blanket to Dot because she will want one just like it. The garden is coming along very nicely.
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It’s still pretty perky for sure.
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This post absolutely made my day! Thanks so much for sharing your lovely garden.
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Pleasure Barb!
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Do you fancy sorting my garden out….
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Why not? Give me a chance to see how to Golden rooster…
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A pair of roosters. That works….
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I love your garden, Geoff. It looks wonderful.
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I’m am a lucky chap in so many ways…
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Amazing, how much work you put into the reconstruction of your garden. It already was beautiful and now I am curious about how it may look like next spring/summer!
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Oh… fingers and toes firmly crossed…
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Yes, yes!!!
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Your garden is spectacular, Geoff, even in winter. What a great job you’ve done. It’s perfect. Dog does seem to enjoy himself no matter the season! We are also having a very mild one.
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Hope you’ve settled in and have found your way out of all the boxes..
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A stunning English garden. You are a very fortunate man.
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I am. It’s like living with a park outside the back door. Not sure what I did to deserve this but I’m not complaining.
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Love the garden, great Autumnal photos plus dog 💜💜💜
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Indeed what’s not to like…
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Yes indeed 💜
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The garden is looking lovely with all the autumn colours. Geoff.
We’ve had the very last canna flower. 1st December. Not bad. And the Alstromeria in a pot outside has new buds.
I see your camellia has a flower open. Our two are just beginning to show colour in the buds. with luck they might, just might, be open for Christmas. That’d be lovely.
We had a residence secondaire in Brittany some years ago and there were 2 camellia bushes, well established ones, and one Christmas we had a bowl of camellias on the table as a decoration. Lovely.
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Now wouldn’t that be something! My mother would shake her head in disbelief
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Just seeing your garden, even half a world away, is such respite that I cannot imagine how much more you benefit from being there in person. Bless you for sharing it with the rest of us!
My favorite Dog photo from this batch is the one where his eyes are closed–he looks so peaceful and contented and even a bit pleased with himself (as he should be).
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Smug pug!
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These eyes are glaring at your yard in envy. No who’s lived in my house has ever done a thing to make the tiny yard pretty. I’m still mussing over what to do and how to do it. Wish I had your skills. Lovely!
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Ah, well, I provide the vim and enthusiasm and my superdooper spouse provides the intelligence and skill so between us the garden flourishes. Occasionally I stray outside my pay grade and plant seeds or prune on my own volition. It rarely ends well….
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It has been incredibly mild – a rambling rose decided to have another little flourish of blooms much to my surprise. Your garden is going to look wonderful for the wedding. Lovely pics of dog.
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Hope so!
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It was worth the effort of redoing the lawn I can see. Here my husband was very lucky that the warm weather lasted into November and his tiny grassies(the ones he kept admiring and singing to) have now turned into proper grass. It is all I can do to make him come indoors when it gets dark!
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Ah a fellow spirit. We will have to swap seed stories sometime…
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Oh dear. The thought of the two of you being in the same place is appalling to me as the idea of the Textiliste and I getting together is to you.
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Still looking good
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Just gorgeous, Geoff!!
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Such a beautiful garden, Geoff.
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Thanks Norah
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Ah creosote – unforgettable, sadly. 🙂 … love the ‘Dog absorbing sunbeams’ shot. 🙂
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Love that purple berry–and dog, of course!
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