Through the Garden Gate November 2016


Another month draws to a close and with the daylight hours decreasing the changes in the garden this month have been more dramatic. At the beginning of the month the grape leaves were still displaying beautiful colours and now they have all gone!  On the fig tree the leaves just all fell off within two days of each other! Has anyone else noticed all the leaves dropping off at once, in their garden too?




We still have a few autumn raspberries, variety Joan-J, which were recommended by Sam at a coastal plot. Although they are in their first year and aren't planted in an ideal situation  next to the shed,we have been pleased with the crop, the berries are so big and tasty.


One of my biennial honesty plant (lunaria) which I grew from seeds, I received from CT from Countryside tales is in flower. I always thought this usually flowered in May. It's very strange as there are no signs of flowers on any of the other plants I have grown from the same batch of seeds! I love it's alternative name  Money plant  - the seeds pods (still very green above) are meant to resemble coins.


Since the heavier rain earlier in the week has disappeared, we have been spending lots of time in the garden tidying it up for winter. I much prefer doing jobs at this time of year rather than working out in the freezing cold in the winter months. The last tulips have been planted and I am hopeful of a good display next Spring!


My husband has been replacing the fence this week too. He wanted to do it in the Spring but there were so many plants appearing that I persuaded him to wait until the Autumn. Much to our surprise and relief Tavi didn't realise that he had free access to the field while the new one was being installed!


With the new fence installed we have moved this grass so we get the full effect of the sunlight shining through it. We are hoping that it will not be damaged too much by the strong coastal winds.


Colour in the garden this month is provided by the sedum (above) and the hydrangea (below). What are the dominant colours in your garden this month?




And finally .... a medlar from the community orchard. Have you ever tasted a medlar? It doesn't look very appetising does it? Peel the skin away and the flesh looks just like a rotten mushy brown apple, but the taste was delicious, it was sweet and reminded me of date mixed with a very ripe apple. It's flowers in the spring are meant to be unusual and beautiful too, I will have to remember to take the camera to the orchard next spring and capture them.

Please visit the other gardens who are joining me in "through the Garden Gate". If you wish to join us please mention in the comments below.


Others taking part in through the garden gate are:-
Coastal Ripples
Margaret's patch
Elephant's Eye on False Bay

Thank you for visiting and leaving me comments, have fun this week!
Sarah x

Comments

  1. I too planted my tulips this week on one of those rare beautiful sunny mornings that we are blessed with occasionally at the moment.
    Medlars seem to be making a come back, I would love to try one, their taste sounds intriguing.

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  2. Good morning dearest Sarah!!!!! Your landscape, seascape and garden beauties always give me the feeling as if I am there, truly. Thank you for this stroll down your garden path!

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  3. Omigosh, I need to move to England. What lovely weather you have there that allows you to grow this late in the season. Have a happy week Sarah! xox

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  4. Never tried medlars, that's something to look for. How unusual to have honesty flowering now, mine ii usually in spring with mauvy flowers. Looks like you have had a good autumn tidy. We still have that job to complete . B X

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  5. Gosh there is still a lot going on in your garden! Mine has closed down now since the heavy frosts. But the tulips are safely tucked in. I too would love to taste medlar.

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  6. Your seaside climate must be very different. A raspberry in autumn would be rare here and no, never tasted a medlar, though I have heard of them. Autumn has finally arrived where I live.

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  7. I've never heard of a medlar. Very interesting. Those grape leaves are so pretty in the autumn.

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  8. My post will be up on Wednesday.

    Have to take your word for it that the medlar is as appetising as the raspberries!

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  9. Still plenty going on in your garden - the only colour I have is from some chrysanthemums. I collected some medlars once from a tree I found - I left them to rot like you're supposed to but I wasn't terribly impressed with the taste - I don't think I'll bother again.

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  10. Your post reminds me of how many jobs there are to do in late autumn. I never really enjoy planting bulbs but they are always a joy in spring. I have never tasted a medlar, but a mushy apple and date taste sounds nice!

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  11. Love your garden colour for so late in the year. My garden is snow covered now, Sarah!

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  12. Lovely photos of beautiful autumn scenes -- so glad I stopped by. One of my favorite things is to look around other people's gardens, and you have given a satisfying tour of yours. I'll come back again.

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  13. Thank you for the mention, Sarah. Amazed the honesty is flowering now! I've still got calendula in bloom and the odd rose but that's about it. Great to see the Medlar. I believe they aren't widely sold now because you have to eat them rotten and people would complain! I've never tried one so am v interested in how you found yours taste-wise. xx

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  14. I have just finished up with the fall chores. Phew. Feels good. I'm happy to hear that you found the Medlar delicious, because I planted one this spring, based on the description in the fruit tree catalog. I have never even seen one, but was intrigued. Your opening photo is lovely.

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  15. Lovely Autumn photos. Glad to see photos with flowers since there are no flowers around here at this time. We're preparing for snow today here in this part of the state. We have been lucky so far since there is no snow in the ground yet.

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  16. I'm surprised to see the honesty flowering, too, but then I do have a foxglove flowering at the moment (although I imagine this week's frosts will finally kill it off). I lost my medlar tree a couple of years ago and I should replace it, because, like you say, the fruit looks unappetising but tastes delicious!

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  17. I enjoyed these photos and all the activity in your garden. We've hardly had any rain so far this year so things are looking pretty dismal right now.
    Amalia
    xo

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  18. Your sedum plant is still looking good, Sarah and the white honesty is really pretty. Mine is purple and is full of white seed heads now.
    Here's my 'Through the garden gate' post for this month http://margaretspatch.blogspot.co.uk/2016/11/through-garden-gate-november.html

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  19. Free acess for the dog - is je comming home each day? My friend has a Mispel (Mespilus germanica) in her garden, I love to see the fruit growing. I would also like to have one - but no space.
    I wish you a silent time and a beautiful christmas, Sarah!

    Sigrun

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  20. Still so lovely and green in your garden...just beautiful! Here the its grey and dull, cold and frosty.
    Have a great weekend, take care!
    Titti

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  21. Sedum and hydrangea, can be so good to see at this time of year - yours certainly are.

    I haven't tried a medlar - sounds intriguing!

    All the best Jan

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  22. I thought the cold snap a couple of weeks ago would see off the last of the colour in the garden but it's got mild again (55F today) so there are still dahlias, calendula, sedums and more still flowering. I've never eaten medlars but know that there are some growing on the nearby Heath - I'm curious to taste one now and may have to go foraging! I'm hoping the current mild weather will last for a bit as I have so much still to do in the garden, plus it makes travelling at this time of year a lot less hazardous!

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