november garden

Lots to see in the garden this month and I keep finding myself out there checking on how things are growing, marvelling at all the changes.

The Thompson Seedless grape I planted four years ago finally has grapes forming on it! I really thought it had died and it was only through luck we didn't pull it out. We removed the big self sown weed tree next to it last year, removed concrete at its base and improved the soil which must be why its finally happy.

The leaf cutter bees who usually harvest my rose leaves for lids for their nests are obviously fans of this Vietnamese mint which has a wonderful pattern to it now. I love the serried rows of baby tomatoes forming too, both planted and self seeded. I'm starting to eat the early ripeners and hoping we'll have loads of fruit soon.

I harvested some of my homegrown garlic this week, its small but perfectly formed and looks so pretty hanging up. Hopefully I can improve my results next year, I need to get it in earlier, but its making me very happy.

Also making me happy is the fact that after buying and losing two packets of borage seeds in former years (?) I finally flowered a plant grown from seed, what a wonderful blue! As are the cornflowers which actually came from a swap packet marked poppies. A nice piece of serendipity as I'm a big fan of cornflowers.

Speaking of colour we are so organised as to have colour coordinated katydids on the Rosette Delizy rose. And look, more frog's eggs in this low water pot hidden in the leaf litter. (Do you remember my big surprise last year!)

Thank you so much my friends for all your well wishes on my 5th blog anniversary :-) Today is the fifth anniversary of the first sale in my flower press shop. In a wonderful coincidence it is also the day of the 800th sale. There have been lots of sales outside the shop and in other venues but I like the synchronicity, don't you?!