Winter Pots

It is that time of year when the garden is starting to look a little drab but the pots I planted up in the autumn are now giving a splash of winter colour on our patio.

Autumn Lingers

The last few days in November and still we have some colour in the garden from this Liquidambar styraciflua or Sweet Gum Tree. Brought originally into the UK from America it has large, star-like, shiny, bright green leaves which turn brilliant purple, then shades of orange and yellow in the autumn.

Remembrance Day

This year Remembrance Day takes on additional significance as it marks the 100th anniversary of the commencement of the First World War. The poppy has a long association with Remembrance Day. Scarlet corn poppies (papaver rhoeas) grow naturally in conditions of disturbed earth throughout Western Europe. The destruction brought by the Napoleonic wars of the early 19th Century transformed bare land into fields of blood red poppies, growing around the bodies of the fallen soldiers.In late 1914, the fields of Northern France and Flanders were once again ripped open as World War One raged through Europe's heart. Once the conflict was over the poppy was one of the only plants to grow on the otherwise barren battlefields.

Autumn Acer

 Autumn colours from our Acer tree over the pond.

Nuthatch

We are very lucky to have a pair of Nuthatches who visit the garden each day they seem to favour the black sunflower seeds and do not seem too camera shy. Hopefully more pictures to follow in better light.

Autumn is here.

Our Acer trees are starting to change colour in the garden as well as the Hosta leaves signalling autumn is definitely here. All the young Blue Tit's which fledged earlier this year are still busy in the garden, interestingly there food preference has now changed from the fat squares to the seed feeders

Nut Festival 3 - 5 October

With the start of the autumn equinox last week, the first weekend of October is now the annual " Nut Fest " in Gizzies Garden. All the squirrels are very busy gathering and burying nuts, here one has stopped for a moment to actually eat a peanut.

Thumper

 OK, so not the most original name in the world but he seems very happy eating the grass on our lawn and it has been so nice to watch him in the evening from inside the midge free conservatory.