As I write the first real frost in the garden is being melted by the sun. It is the third frosty morning and this time the water in the bird bath has frozen. The birds have been active in the garden foraging for food and my first six is on this theme.
One
This one is for John Kingdon at the Rivendell Garden blog The blackbirds have found my cotoneaster and the display of bright red berries is diminishing.
Two
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- before
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- after
There are still jobs to done in the garden and this is one I completed yesterday. Cutting back the old and diseased foliage of the hellebores. I only have a few so it wasn’t arduous and it enabled me to appreciate all the new flower buds forming. This is Pretty Ellen and the bud that I featured a week or so ago has opened beautifully.
Three
There have been plenty of posts recently about collecting leaves, so here’s my leaf mould corner. Made from chicken wire and a few posts put together with a staple gun. A varied collection of leaves blow in from neighbouring gardens. My contributions are from the fig and apple trees. I collect these mainly by mowing the lawn with the blades set high, shredding and collecting in one sweep.
Four
And here is the deleafed fig tree. Only a few figs ripened and even the squirrels are turning up their noses at those that are left. I now have the mammoth tasking of removing all but the very smallest figs. A job for many Saturdays.
Five
I have recently extended a border and the first planting is complete. The old plants have been brought out from under the hedge, tulips planted and lastly the roses. A robin waited expectantly as I took this photo. He’s pretending not to be looking. But I wasn’t turning over any worms that day. There’s more on the new border at New garden, new borders, new optimism
Six
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- More new buds
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- There is still some colour in the border
Back to some of my favourites for the last one. R.Scepter’d Isle is still putting out new buds and providing some late season colour. I would also like to put in a good word for geranium brookside. I have plans to divide this once it is well established and weave throughout the borders. It definitely earns its keep.
Thanks to The Propagator for hosting the wonderful Six on Saturday. Read his blog posts and all the other Six on Saturday posts from around the world at The Propagator my plant obsession
n20gardener 
I’ve given up on helibores the last several years, but yours’ve given me envy. Maybe I’ll rethink them. On the other hand, my figs did great this year, so perhaps there’s enough of a weather difference between us that helibores are doomed in my garden. Then on the third hand, I even love your geraniums & I hate geraniums. I suspect you & your photography abilities may be a bad influence. That photo of the fig is stunning.
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I inherited the fig trees when I moved. They are south facing but I don’t really ever expect to get a bumper crop. I enjoy whatever I can! I do recommend the geranium if a cottage garden style works for you. My photography is very hit and miss but I am getting better!
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I agree with Lora, your picture of fig tree is beautiful! Why do you want to remove small ones? I leave them all winter. They dry and fall when they want. Just a passage of the hand and they fall on the ground. Second, does removing old leaves of hellebores accelerate new flower buds? I have read that too. It would be something to do in my garden…
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I will leave on the very smallest pea sized figs – hoping that these embryonic ones will grow on for next year. The larger ones are removed to direct energy into the tree and not the old fruit. I pick the low down ones and hope those higher up will fall to the ground of their own accord. I am new to removing old hellebore leaves – it is done to prevent the spread of the leaf diseases.
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If it freezes this winter, all the figs will fall or burn. Just be careful not to hurt the tree (avoid diseases). For hellebore, I am also new to the elimination of old leaves … Thomas told me yesterday to remove them because new flower buds will arrive with new leaves.
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thank you
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Pretty Ellen is very pretty, indeed. And that garden bed, all prepared and ready for planting is so attractive. It makes me eager for spring and all the activity it will bring.
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Ha! Your birds are slow! My Cotoneasters don’t suffer from diminishing berries. They’re lucky if each berry lasts more than a minute on the bush. I’m sure some enterprising blackbird has introduced a ticketed queuing system. I did see a Pyracantha berry last week. Popped indoors to get the camera to take a photo but it had gone by the time I got back. At least the birds don’t get the raspberries. Resident cat nicks those. I’ve now had two hard frosts in the west facing front garden and a real freeze last night – had to use de-icer on the car this morning. But the rear garden remains frost-free. Weird.
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I have some hellebore seeds to sow next year, new to me so will be interested to see if they amount to anything.
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Hellebores reseed all by themselves here, unless you are an extraordinarily neat gardener and weeder.
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I am definitely not a neat gardener. I love it when plants self sow so I am very pleased to hear that I might see some hellebore seedlings. Fingers crossed!
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Ah my Hellebores are letting the side down – not an emerging bud amongst the lot of them! It’s exciting when you see the first one appear though so I keep checking.
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I hope your hellebores are beginning to wake up now. Keep looking!
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