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Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Autumn Miscellany

Next to Spring, I love this time of year and I think our garden is looking prettier now than it's ever done. Sorry I haven't been around much for the past week or so, but I've just started yet another course with the Open University so I've been rather distracted. I've got a lot of reading up and commenting to do on everyone's blogs! Anyway, here are some photographs I was inspired to take today.



As other flowers are settling down for their Winter sleep ahead, the fuchsias are really coming into their own. This is Fuchsia 'Deep Purple'. For those of you who love huge showy blooms, this is the one! It flowers profusely and the double flowers really are the deepest of purple. Although I prefer the single-flowered fuchsias, I have to admit that 'Deep Purple' is a stunner. You can't go far wrong with fuchsias...... they're great value for money. Being inexpensive plants, they have a long flowering season and are amongst the easiest of plants to propagate from cuttings. There's a fuchsia for every situation in the garden..... you can grow them in the border, in hanging baskets and containers, there are shrub fuchsias and miniature fuchsias, double-flowered fuchsias and single-flowered fuchsias. The only fuchsia that's not available yet is a YELLOW one and if you happen to accidentally breed one, your life is about to change big style!



Our garden is a carpet of golden leaves just now, compliments of the Field Maple. If you look closely you'll see a tiny bloom of Herb Robert at the base of the tree stump.


Another fuchsia! This is Fuchsia 'Tom Thumb'. It's flowered non-stop throughout the Summer and still going strong. The photograph doesn't do it justice though, as it's tiny blooms are a richer purple. The plant itself only grows to about 8 inches high, but is the perfect choice to give shelter to the fairies.


This is a Rowan tree (Mountain Ash) that I've been training as a bonsai. It's in the same pot as the Tom Thumb fuchsia. When I say 'training', all I did was to confine it to a small flower-pot for a couple of years until I planted it in this container. Lucky for me, the trunk and roots took on this beautifully contorted shape and it looks quite authentic.



This last photo is just to show you what a beautiful corner of the Earth I live in. :D I took it today after my dental appointment, which was in the town next to ours. This is taken from the car park looking over towards our town, but it was drizzling with rain so you can't see it! In the middle of the photo you can just see the River Wear. Click on it to enlarge.

p.s. My teeth were fine and didn't need any treatment. :D


30 comments:

  1. I can literally feel this! So beautiful!

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  2. Hi Lesley!

    More beautiful pictures of your garden and of the countryside. Beautiful!

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  3. Hi Mr.B! :D Glad you liked them. I'm off to do some gardening jobs for my mum and dad today and tonight I'll enjoy catching up with everyone else's blogs..... and see what you've been up to! :O)

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  4. Hi Goddess :D Thank you! It was a lovely day yesterday despite the rain, in fact I think the rain helped improve the photos. :O)

    Will catch up with you soon. :)

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  5. Hey there, Lesley. The photos really are gorgeous. Love that 'Deep Purple' fuchsia and the idea of using a Rowan tree as a bonsai. When I think back to my Wiccan days, I think Rowan trees always figured as potent symbols, though of what I cannot remember. Magic? Strength? Love? Oh well, all would be nice. I just figured out that you had a blog or I would have visited sooner. I should post pictures of my garden just for contrast - though it might make you cry.

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  6. Hi Paul and thanks for visiting! :D I bet your garden's not as bad as you're making out. I'm not a tidy gardener. It doesn't bother me about the few patches of nettles and other 'weeds'and the carpet of fallen leaves. I also admire formal gardens with neatly trimmed hedges and flowers all in a row. :O) We all have our different styles. For me there's no right and wrong way of gardening.

    The Rowan does indeed have magic symbolism. Planting a Rowan near your home will protect you from evil spirits. Farmers used to hang Rowan sprigs above the doors of their animals' sheds to protect them from harm. The wood is also used for magic tools such as wands and for divination and it aids communication between the spiritual realm. A very useful tree to have around and we always have lots of little baby ones springing up all over from the mature one we planted years ago. :)

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  7. So beautiful, what a wonderful place to live...congrats on your award from OMGoddess!

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  8. Hello Stacey. :) Thank you! Yes, County Durham in Northern England, is a great place. We're lucky to have access to wonderful cities and gorgeous countryside.

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  9. Hello Lesley,

    Congrats on your Goddess Award. The Purple Fuschia is worth it! Have always loved that plant. We used to have shrub versions in our highland garden. Now, we have a patio!

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  10. congrats on the OMG award...beautiful garden...the fuschia is gorgeous. your patch of the world looks a woonderful place. drop back soon.

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  11. More lovely photos Lesley and your right, apart from Spring this is a lovely time of year. Full of autumnal colours and pastel shades!
    I've always heard nothing but good things about the beauty of County Durham to!

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  12. Thanks Gf! :) We're having a mild time of it up to now. I bet you're glad we're not having much rain, considering you work outdoors! Do you have to work throughout the rain or do you get to shelter somewhere with a nice cup of tea? :D

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  13. Thanks for stopping by Brian, and for your lovely compliments. :)

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  14. Hi Derrick. :) I can imagine your Highland fuchsias were beautiful. They seem to grow really well there because of the cool climate. I wonder where in the Highlands you were? I used to live near Fort William for a while.

    You needn't be without fuchsias for your patio.... there are loads of beauties you could grow in containers. :D

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  15. Hello again Lesley,

    Believe it or not, we used to live just outside Ballachulish, so I know Fort William very well!

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  16. Lol Derrick, my dad was the gardener for The Ballachulish Hotel! :O) I lived at Kinlochleven. I left to return to County Durham in 1979 and it was about a year or so later my parents joined me down here. I lived in the Highlands for three years, before that I was in Glasgow. Were you in Ballachulish about that time?

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  17. Hi Lesley,

    I'm afraid we were 20 years(!) after you. I have to say, I don't recall the Ballachulish Hotel having any garden to speak of but you may be talking of a time before they built the new wing. I have mentioned Ballachulish and Kinlochleven in passing, in my post today!

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  18. It's maybe just as well Derrick..... I was a very naughty girl! lol :D

    It was just a little garden with a small greenhouse. It's probably been built over now. If you look at the photograph of my sons on the left-hand side of my blog, that was taken at The Lochan at Glencoe. He and his wife got married at the lochside.

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  19. outstanding, Leslie. . . . would trade geo with you anyday. looks like alittle piece of heaven.

    thank you,

    ..
    .ero

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  20. Hi again Lesley,

    I wrote a little piece about the lochan recently. You can read it here if you wish.

    http://melrosemusings.blogspot.com/2009/08/lochan.html

    Thanks for your comments about the Loch Leven Hotel and the James of the Glen memorial! You obviously have fond memories of the Highlands!

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  21. Thank you Sun! Thanks for visiting. :)

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  22. Thanks Derrick! I've looked at the link and it reminded me of the many walks we did round The Lochan. Such an amazing place! I've left a message for you on your latest post. :)

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  23. These are beautiful shots, Lesley! You do live in a gorgeous place.

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  24. Thanks Deedee. :) There are grotty urbanized bits, as there is everywhere, but the beautiful natural surroundings make up for them. :)

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  25. Always tea inside for me when its raining Lesley!

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  26. Oh that's good Gf, I don't need to worry about you now! :D

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  27. I've been missing you and stopped by to see if everything is OK. I hope you are doing well.

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  28. Hi Lesley,

    Where are you hiding?

    IB

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  29. Hello Lesley. Its a long time since you posted. I hope that everything is alright. I hope its just the case that your staying out of the way of the very bad weather!

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  30. Hi! Thought I'd pop in to say hello and wish you and your family a very happy holiday season!

    BTW ... your photos are lovely and I adore the view. Is that what you see from your home? If so ... you are soooo lucky!

    Take Care!

    Small Footprints
    http://reducefootprints.blogspot.com

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