60/29

Rain this afternoon, so an early finish  for me. Today's pic was taken out the upstairs bathroom window. It's the best view of my sunflowers to see their size.

59/28

I know I said no more lily pic's, but I was wrong. Just one more.

58/27

This is a "last", my mixed glads have done their dash. Very good value for money I would have to say.

57/26

I had a lovely excursion, with my good friend Anne, to Mr Prestons garden again. It is amazing how he always has new treasures to see,  no matter the time of year. The collage is a collection of seed pod/heads I saw while there. I am being lazy and not doing the botanical names as it would take me too long to find them!!!!

56/25

Instead of a productive saturday, everthing I tried to do went wrong, so went visiting with a friend instead. It inproved the day no end. My hydrangeas are starting to flower, always a welcome addition at this time in the season.

55/24

Friday was my babysitting day. I have a great time with the granddaughter, she is just about crawling so take a bit of keeping an eye on!!! How quickly we forget. The pic is my only perennial sweet pea, I seem to have lost the white one unfortunately.

54/23

I have taken photos over the last few days, but have been too lazy to use the computer. I know I have posted this dahlia before but it is such a super colour and a good grower.

53/22

Not such a nice morning to be a gardener, with a persistent drizzle falling. I went out to turn the pond pump on and took this shot of Rosa Julia Clements. It is a colour you either love or hate. I love it.

52/21

My white late flowering oriental lily is finally out. Smells beautiful.

51/20

Today was a great day to work as a gardener, the sun was shining and the birds were singing. I took some sweet pea pictures when I got home, as they are almost finished, next year I will aim for more colour variety.

50/19

Sunday was spent tidying up Saturdays mess!!! Next mission is to make bedding for the cot, but I am out of elastic for the fitted sheet, so will have to go shopping tomorrow. The garden is really slowing up now and I have less late summer flowering plants. This is  a relation of  the annual sunflower, and is Helianthus multiflorus  or perennial sunflower. 

49/18

A wet weekend and I still got behind. Most of my time was spent making space in my workroom for a cot. We decided to get one as it makes it much easier for granddaughter to stay, and I guess we will have more than one in the future. Back to pics, this is the pink flowered strawberry, Fragaria x ananassa Pink Parfait. My patch has been neglected this year, but they flower through the weeds. 

48/17

Friday already!!! Were is time vanishing to. I did a tour around my pots ( I have too many ) and decided I need to either remove or improve my pelagonium collection. I only have them because I look after my mother-in-laws over the winter and can't bear to chuck out the cuttings after tidying hers. So next year I need to be firm with myself... no rubbish in pots.

47/16

For the first season ever  I have managed to not kill my clump of taller gentians. I will have to check for its full name, but I'm just pleased to have it alive and flowering!!

46/15

I have never been very fond of tiger lilies but the do look quite good when photographed. I also didn't realise I have both singles and doubles.

45/14

Tuesday was a full day of work and some time in the kitchen when I got home. I made basil pesto, some for now and some to freeze, and chopped gherkins to bottle today. I noticed how many veges were flowering at the moment hence the collage of pumpkin, potato and runner bean flowers.

44/13

Monday was spent in Abbotsford, then to babysit the grandi.  She is so cute but I am biased! My darling daughter in her first year of gardening has grown much better sunflowers than I have, but mine still look good in a photo.

43/12

Sunday came and went so fast, I can't even remember what I did... if anything. I did find one more lily out, and no it won't be the last as I have just been out to shift the hose and see a white one nearly ready to open.

42/11

I have discovered that if my computer is not sitting on the kitchen table, I don't use it, even when I have taken photos. So catch up time. This is an oak tree in a clients garden. I know it is  very old but it size still amazes me every time I see it. The trunk measures a rough six meters around at waist height. Raking the leaves up in autumn is time consuming.

41/10

Well the rain did fall, it was quite heavy for most of the evening so that will help the garden no end. I just realized how many different agapanthus I have around the garden so thought a collage was needed. The nicest dark one is not fully out yet, but I think the photo of the bud still looks good.

40/9

I thought we were going to get some much needed rain this morning, but no, it came to nothing. So on with the hose again tonight. I found my very last lily fully out this morning and although it is similar to others I have posted, here it is anyway. I do love lilies........

39/8

The wind has stopped... yea. It got very hot during the afternoon, but with out the wind it was enjoyable. I found three new gladioli out today, I feel I have had great value out of my mixed bag.

38/7

It's still blowing! apart from that, the day was good. While going to the shade house for the wheelbarrow, I noticed a poor little cacti flowering among the weeds. I don't know what it is, it was a rescue job, but I haven't looked after it very well. Still the flowers are lovely.

37/6

An OK day apart from the wind which is starting to really annoy me again. Today's rose photo is one of several I acquired from an elderly uncle who was having a clean out in his garden. I don't know it's name but it is proving to be a very pretty addition to my rockery.

36/5

This year I tried to grow more of my plants from seed. It was only slightly successful, I find the process exciting to begin with but the time needed becomes a problem. One attempt was Zinnia's, I must be getting old as I find myself liking plants I remember from my mothers gardening days! Obviously these are little bug eaten examples but I am convinced I can do better..... next year.

35/4

Saturday has also come and gone........... it's a good job this is a long weekend otherwise I would be running out of days. The last few of my lilies to flower are mostly pink orientals, but still rather pretty. I must remember to get late season ones if (when ) I buy more.

34/3

Friday is the day I always seem to slip up with, yet I wasn't at work so can't blame that. I had a social services day taking my Mother-in law to town for messages, than some fun babysitting the Grandie. The pic for Friday is the last different coloured glad. They have really slowed up, but I think it's lack of water.

33/2

I spent some time in my own garden after work last night and felt I could do a top crop/flop crop article similar to The  Gardener Magazine. Pictured is, I hope, one of my top crops, sweet corn. I have had  great potatoes, good carrots, green and butter beans  and OK courgettes. Forget the tomatoes, cucumbers, gherkins and my succession of lettuces has been awful. Still if all went to plan where would next years challenge be.

32/1

Thought it was time to have a change of background colour for the new month. Today's photo is a lily I bought at last years Otago Lily Society bulb auction. I really must go again this year. As you can see it did stop blowing and rained (a little) last night.