November is my favourite winter month and so far it is looking good. The first light frosts arrived this week followed by blue skies. The perfect weather for shovelling the large amounts of mulch I have sitting in dumpy bags. Progress is slow but it’s a wonderful outdoor work out. I am not a tidy gardener but I am always very happy with the sharpness of the border after a mulch has gone down. So all is well in the garden at least. Here’s six things that caught my eye this week.
One
Last week’s halloween fungus was identified as Coral fungus, probably ramaria stricta. This week I have another mystery to be solved. The front garden once again supplies the object requiring an id. Sorry, no prizes!
Two
I have been busy cutting back soggy leaves, in this border it was the siberian irises getting the chop and nearly losing a leg was this little fellah. I usually have a robin as company in the garden but this year the amphibians have been muscling in. I am hopeless at telling the difference between frogs and toads but previous creatures have been identified as toads so I’m going toad for this one.
Three
November is the season for bare root roses and there are always some discounts available which is very tempting. I still have one or two roses putting out small flowers. This one is ‘Jaqueline du Pre’.
Four
And this one is ‘Natasha Richardson’. This one is very floriferous through the year. If I am tempted to try to fit in one more rose it might be ‘Munster Wood’. But at the moment I’m just looking….
Five
A few weeks back I showed the leaves on the persimmon tree as they turned colour. The leaves have all fallen now, leaving the fruit to take centre stage. It’s a good crop this year, destined for the birds as I am not a great fan of the fruit.
Six
I have one fuchsia in the garden, an inherited one so I have no idea of the variety and I am sad to say that it looks like it has fuchsia gall mite. The ends of the shoots are distorted. Here’s the flower rather than the damage. Cutting back the affected growth seems to be the main option. A job for the weekend.
The week ahead promises mild weather here, I’ll be mulching and collecting leaves. The old shed will be taken down and I hope the new one is still on schedule for delivery end of the month. Meanwhile I’ll keep in touch with other SOS gardeners through the links on Mr Ps site. This is the time of year when sunny photos from Australia cheer us up.
n20gardener 
I had not seen the toad on your photo as it’s the same colour ! Nice catch.
Oh these persimmons … I’m jealous …
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Maybe it should have been a find the toad quiz, like Jim’s spot the difference!
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And Jim told me there were 8 differences… š
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Jaqueline du Pre looks lovely. I remember nearly chopping a newt in half last year. Took me a while to recover but the newt seemed pretty chilled.
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This one moved just in time, I was scything through with my Niwaki rice scythe!!
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Inspired by last week, I bought a persimon today, just so I can find out if I agree with you or not. Lots of lovely roses this week, and yours are no exception. I like the fungus and the froggy/toad too. Have a happy mulching week. š
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How did the persimmon munching go? I gave some away today but the birds have started on them already. But that’s a good thing too!
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I haven’t tried it yet, it feel as bit hard, should it be soft?
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Yes, i think so. But don’t trust me – I don’t eat them š
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I will be patient and will report back ……
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Nice to have a froggy/toad in the garden, hope he is wolfing down all the slugs! The persimmon tree looks so pretty with its baubles. I’m still waiting for some dryer weather to finish clearing the garden and mowing the lawn, despite the recent sunshine everything is still soggy. My garden doesn’t get much sun in the winter months.
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Yes, it’s a bit soggy here too, but we did get the lawn mower out on Sunday, highest setting, to shred up the fallen leaves that were covering the lawn – another good work out!
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Adorable toad! I grew up with a yard that had a fish pond, and most summer evenings toads would “plop” in for a dip. They lived under the deck.
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Curious to know where mine come from, no pond here but I have spotted so many. Often in the compost heap!
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“Soggy leaves! – oh, how I hate the wet and cold of that work! It prompts me to get in there and cut down as soon as I have the opportunity rather than waiting for them to reach the soggy stage.
Persimmon – I’m majorly jealous! Fabulous!
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I had the horrible experience of dealing with soggy agapanthus leaves on Sunday, so slimy!
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Beautiful roses. Fuchsia Gall Mite has been quite a problem for me this year. I canāt imagine not growing Fuchsias though
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I hope my one survives, it makes me hesitant to invest in any more for the moment. But SOS keeps tempting me their delights.
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Lovely roses, Jaqueline du PrĆ© is so delicate. I know what you mean about trying to fit one more in. I somehow ended up ordering 5 bare root roses – where thereās a will thereās a way!
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That’s a great persimmon crop. They look beautiful hanging there all golden.
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They are beautiful when the sun shines through them. I keep thinking I should get creative and make it a Christmas Card. So many good ideas that never see the light of day!
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i too love a mulch. i am hoping i have enough home made compost to do the whole garden, it has been a productive year. it will be a while before i get round to it, the borders are still quite full.
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I’m a bi fan of Fuchsias. Hopefully you’ll get the all mite under control.
You sure were busy this week, what with all the mulchin & demolition.
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Oh no; you are the first to mention bare root season. Fortunately, I can not get out to purchase anything. I will only see what I can get from the Arbor Day Foundation. They are pretty simple selections.
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I was tempted but then discovered my choice had sold out from my usual supplier! Iām looking at bare root redcurrants now. This time round our garden centres have been allowed to stay open.
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The internet and mail order catalogues make it difficult to avoid the temptations.
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