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Wednesday, October 27, 2010

A Nostalgic Farewell

We only have until the weekend in this house before moving to our new one, so I've been looking through my photographs of some of the plants and creatures that have made the time in the garden special.



Here's Charlie strolling up the path.  This was in the midst of Summer and all the plants are in full growth. One of my favourite plants is the Angelica which you can see in the middle foreground, with the large lime-green seed heads.



These Anemone de Caen were a gorgeous surprise.  I planted the corms not knowing what colour they would be and I was delighted.  I never knew flowers could come in such a shocking pink!  They looked stunning on the patio.



This is Esmerelda who lived in the greenhouse a few Summers ago.  She laid eggs and I saw all the little babies after they hatched - hundreds of them!



This is a beautiful climbing rose called Cecile Bruner.  I can thoroughly recommend it.  It's a strong grower, but doesn't get out of hand and it produces flowers in early Summer with a repeat flowering in the Autumn.  The flowers are gorgeous, especially when the buds are just beginning to open.  The flowers are tiny and produced in abundance.



Here's a very special friend, the robin who nested in our greenhouse and kept us company from early Spring right up to late Summer.  It was pure joy to work in the garden with Robin flitting backwards and forwards with food to feed its chicks.



A favourite fuchsia, 'Blue Heaven'.  This one is the closest to a blue fuchsia you can get, in my opinion.  It's a robust and beautiful plant and I still have one flowering strongly even though it's nearly November.



'Bart Comperen', my favourite of all fuchsias.  The dark aubergine of the corolla and the rose-pink sepals is an entrancing contrast.  If I could only grow one fuchsia, this would be it.



  
This is our friends, the collared doves.  They visit our garden daily.

This little nettle is one of my favourite wildflowers in the garden.  Growing at the base of a birch tree, it produces a neat bushy plant and the flowers provide early food for bees.  I think it looks very pretty, especially intermingled with the Geranium Johnson's Blue.



Robin again!
Seeing the garden like this in its full glory reminds me of all the happy days spent in it, or just watching the wildlife from behind the windows - the frogs, mice and all the different birds and insects.  The house we're moving into is smaller and will be more economical to run, but it has a garden to three sides of it and I know that we'll spend many happy years there too.  It's only a few minutes walk from this house so I'm hoping that we'll get the same birds visit us at our new garden.  I'm not sure what distances they travel to feed but I'm hoping it's within their boundary.  We have really appreciated the pleasure that the garden and its inhabitants have given us - I hope that the next people who come to live here respect and care for it.  


  








10 comments:

  1. Lesley, a cracking post. It was lovely time travelling through your garden. Thanks for sharing that. Some smashing plants and flowers. Esmeralda, a stunner and i remember the Robin in your greenhouse. It's coming into the Robins time of year now and one has recently arrived in our garden after an absence of 3or 4 months. I hope your move isn't too painful for you but you will have a new challenge and i hope some of "your friends" come to visit your new space.
    Best wishes,
    John

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  2. Thank you John. :) I'm looking forward to creating a new garden.

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  3. Such a lovely post dear Leslsy, such beautiful photos and memories of the garden you have created and tended and the precious creatures you have protected. So sad to leave all of this behind. I am happy to read that you shall have a garden at your new house and I'm sure you will spend many happy, contented hours there creating a new green and floral haven for yourself and the creatures there. I would find it very difficult to live without a garden. I hope your little bird friends do come and visit and hopefully some of the other 'little friends' you have cared for.
    Good luck with the move, I hope you shall be very happy in your new home and garden.
    Love, Dianne. xoxo ♡

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  4. Thanks Dianne. :) We've got our work cut out for us - there's lots of tidying up and pruning to do first. I'm not going to do much over the Winter except to make it tidy as I want to see what plants appear in the Spring. But I'm sure there will still be lots to blog about. :D

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  5. A grand spot, all the best with the move, I'm used to it. A stressful time nonetheless.

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  6. Thank you Adrian. :) I'm in awe of your lifestyle and all the lovely places you visit.

    I'll try to keep off the mind-altering substances as much as I can during the move! :O)

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  7. Oh Lesley, it sounds like you are going to find the next few days rather emotional but I wish you well and hope your new garden and house will soon bring more happy memories. Good luck with the move.

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  8. Thanks Helen. :) We were round at the new house earlier today doing a little bit of cleaning and we found a bag of wild bird seed in one of the cupboard and as I left by the back door, there was a blackbird nosing about in the undergrowth..... sounds promising. :)

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  9. Good luck in your new house and garden, I'm sure you'll have many happy hours in your new garden
    managing it and nuturing it to your own liking.

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  10. Such lovely photos Lesley.
    I know that you're just gonna love starting from scratch all over again.
    Maybe not till next year though?!

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