My enjoyment of November continues. This week the goldfinches have arrived in the garden to feed off the verbena bonariensis seeds. My six on Saturday walk around has set me off thinking about next year. This morning I spotted something in the wrong place aesthetically but clearly in the right place horticulturally. I’m going to move it anyway. My gardening jobs are few and far between and mostly seem to involve leaf collecting. Here’s my collection of six for today.
One
This is astrantia ‘Roma’ looking lovely in the north facing border. I collected a batch of astrantia major seedlings from the long border earlier on and planted them in the white section of this border. Beautiful though it looks here, this surprise ‘Roma’ will be going back to the long border where it works very well with salvia nemorosa ‘Carradona’.
Two
I find that SOS walk round is always a good time to spot those plants that need tying in. This is the climbing rose ‘Blush Noisette’ which has put out a late but very strong stem. I’ve left it with some room to grow upwards to encourage more growth. The rain continues to drown any new rose buds so I am not expecting much now but next year, next year.
Three
The lowest temperature in the greenhouse this week was 2.2 degrees. I have half a tray of cowslips left. I need to see if the slugs and snails have eaten those that I planted out earlier. If they have been devoured I shall be potting these on and then keeping them in the greenhouse over winter ready to plant out next spring.
Four
The greenhouse was too cold to get these agapanthus seeds to germinate so they have been treated to a space near the window in the house. They will be evicted when the N20 hotel opens up for Christmas and I’m not sure where they will go. For now I am pleased to see them making progress. They were sown about a month ago.
Five
There has a been a leek disaster in the veg beds. I didn’t have many growing and all of them have collapsed. I am suspecting nibbling mice. I thought I might be able to salvage them as baby leeks but none of them made the grade. Leeks were on the list of things that I might not grow again and that has now been confirmed.
Six
With apologies for the poor focus, the autumn crocus speciosus ‘ Albus’ bulbs that I bought on the cheap a few weeks back have just pushed up to the surface. Why does it always look like you have more than enough to plant and yet when the flowers appear you realise you had room for double the quantity? There is a promise that they will form large colonies, something I shall be looking forward to. I should have packed them in tighter among the forget-me-not seedlings. I’m looking forward to those flowering next year too.
Damp and cold it may be but my gardening optimism is currently running high. I hope yours is too. There’s always plenty of gardening cheer to be found in the links to SOS to found on Mr P’s site. Thank you Mr P for keeping us all going.
n20gardener 
Your leeks make me think that they were affected by the leek worm. This creates “small canals” and little by little the plant gets tired, bends and rots. I spray and water with Bacillus Thuringiensis, organic treatment, safe and effective (to renew 2 to 3 times)
What is the N20 hotel for Christmas? a surprise for you?
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The N20 hotel opens when my family come home for Christmas – which is a good thing! We do get to see them during the year but at Christmas they come to stay for a few days. I will look up leek worm, they just seemed to fold in half!
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So a good time to spend with your family soon … your “hotel” looks a bit like mine then, when the whole family arrives at Christmas ….
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While it is a bit bleak today there are lots of signs of things to come. I think I’ve got my daffs starting to poke through. Astrantia looking nice. My mum gave me some seed though can’t remember where it went.
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I’ve some bulbs a bit like your astrantia seeds! I planted up the doll’s minuet yesterday. Looking forward to those. I hope you find the seeds, I think astrantia is good addition to the garden.
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I love your enthusiasm for November. Those cowslips look very perky – no wonder you want to cosset them.
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Hello, love a seedling at this time of year. I mustn’t forget to order my HPS seeds at the end of the month.
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Love your Astrantia. I kept waiting for mine to flower again after the spring but it never did so maybe I need to get a new variety like yours.
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I’ve been quite amazed by the re-flowering so late in the year and they look so healthy! Shame to move it – but I will!
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I’m amazed at your astrantia in bloom. Mine’ve been done for a long time. Location is everything in the garden, I suspect. Your blurry photo gives me crocus envy, as none of mine are in bloom yet. And that cat-o-9-tails of rose buds – wow! Fantastic. No wonder you’re enjoying November, the way your garden is now, leeks not included.
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Yes poor old leeks didn’t do well at all. Wish I could have taken a better photo of the crocus but I was a bit pushed for time.
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Agapanthus from seed seems like more work than necessary for them. They grow so vigorously, and are so easy to divide. Growing them form seed is a slower process, but would then produce SO many all at the same time. I still divide mine, primarily because I want them all to be the same as the originals. (I have only one primary blue and one primary white and one dwarf blue. Those that are not from the primaries get given away or put in unrefined landscapes when divided.) I am told that some of the common agapanthus are reasonably true to type from seed.
It is nice that your autumn crocus actually bloom in autumn. There was a crocus here that looks just like saffron crocus, but it blooms in spring with the Dutch crocus. It is supposed to be saffron, but I really do not know.
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