TIME TO PUT THINGS AWAY FOR THE WINTER

 So after a hot dry summer , we are still in hosepipe ban since although we have had rain, it's been nowhere near enough to refill the reservoirs and streams. We will need a lot more days of heavy rain over the winter months to help. 

But now the nights are cooling , which is usual for October , so things will start to need to be put away to help them through the winter months. We have not yet had a frost but no doubt one will suddenly appear maybe by the end of the month.

All the Aeonium's are now in the greenhouse.

The selves are starting to fill up.

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The geraniums have taken their place on the table.

There are still flowers in the garden.

This Canna is still going well, Canna  Tropicana Black. It's still not so cold that everything needs to go away but over the coming weeks, we will start to move things as we don't want to have to move everything in a rush if they say there is going to be a frost.

But we are now putting away the outside furniture cushions because the nip in the air makes us less likely to be sitting outside much more this year.

So still plenty to do to settle the garden for winter.

HOSEPIPE BAN AND A LONG DROUGHT

 So the country, in the south , is suffering from almost two months without rain and five heatwaves of continuous days of temperatures above 30 + degrees. Added to that the local water company put on a hosepipe ban, so the garden has not received any water for a few weeks and is showing the costs.

 We moved some of the plants that were in pots to the patio by the house, to make it easier to water them with the waste water.

These plants, on the table, don't need much water so have not been effected.

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Lots of our pots are terracotta which unfortunately are not good in very hot weather as they dry out quicker. So next year we will either place the plants in plastic pots and drop those into the terracotta ones or line the terracotta pots with plastic to help stop the pots from drying out the soil in hot weather.

Even the pots in fairly shaded spots have suffered.

Unfortunately we may lose some lovely plants that have been around for a few years.

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The flower garden is suffering due to no water.

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I'm hoping we can save this , a plant we have had and divided up round the garden over the years.

We put some shading up in this area but the plants are still suffering.

The folly 

This is my thirty plus year old cherry tree ! Trying to make sure it survives as the ground is so dry.

now 

Before

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The field Maple tree is already turning red and will drop it's leaves months early as it tries to survive the lack of water.

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The pink in this trough is pasted saving.

This trough which does not get as much sun is still struggling on.

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We moved what plants in the pots into the shade where we could .

but even in this drought a plant will find a space to grow ! 

Hoping these will survive ! 

But of course the brambles still manage to stay green and grow !

Well they are talking rain ! But since we are in one of the driest counties, it remains to be seen just how mush we will get in the next few days.