October Roundup

We stayed local this month and I went for some invigorating walks in our neighbourhood. Our surroundings are beginning to look quite autumnal now.

More of the apples in the garden are ready to pick  We're seeing an abundance of berries and the leaves are changing from green to gold, orange and red hues.

Cuttings of a dahlia have successfully taken root and they've produced flowers.  Chrysanthemums are a favourite Autumn flower.  The grapes still remain on the vines and the roses continue to bloom.

During this week we had to go to our local daughter's home as she was working.  She needed us to be there while a technician was working on her broadband cable outside the house.  Passing by the community garden I noticed colourful mandalas hanging in the trees so on our way back home we stopped to take a closer look.  Since last time a lot of outdoor furniture and other garden items have been added and the whole site is obviously well maintained and used by the schoolchildren as a place to learn about gardening and the environment.  The children and their teachers along with local volunteers have made the place look very attractive.

Sunrise with a view over our neighbourhood gardens as the light gets brighter.

(Photos taken yesterday)

Once again thank you for your visit.  Have a lovely weekend.  We're looking forward to the lunchtime visit from our grandson and girlfriend as they pass by on their way back to Berkshire.

A Garden Project

Yesterday we stopped to take a look at a local community garden as this time of the year the wildflower meadow is at its best.

A few years ago a group was set up with a team of volunteers dedicated to improving the local area and in 2017 as part of the Greening Great Britain initiative with the Royal Horticultural Society the group approached John Chambers Wildflower experts to help them transform a forgotten 'grey spot' in Sheffield into a mini haven for wildlife.

The area had been a disused local authority highway storeage depot.  The team used enough John Chambers Pro Cornfield Annuals and Pro Coastal 100% Wildflower Seed to cover an area of 500 square ms. The Pro Range included enough commonly found species to suit a wide variety of growing conditions.The idea was to provide a beautiful wildflower habitat which would encourage biodiversity in such a landscape.  Volunteers from the neighbourhood action team and local schools helped prepare the site for sowing.  They also created a bug hotel and a seating area for study. The wildlife annuals established quickly and the perennials got established and by 2018 the first flowering produced an abundance of blooms which led to the team winning the Britain in Bloom Platinum Award for the garden. 

Volunteers continue to maintain the wildflower area and feed the birds.  In the past painted pebbles for the local children to discover were placed in the environmental learning area. This is an ongoing project in which the local children can participate, learn and take an interest in their environment.  I can imagine that general care and maintenance of the garden cannot be easy at this time, but from the look of the garden the wildflower area is flourishing and the rest of it looks tidy, but not overly so.  Life goes on for the natural world and wildlife will continue to benefit from such a creative green space. Let's hope that it's not just the lovingly-made 'model gardeners' and the volunteer gardeners that continue to be in this green space, but children, families and the local schools will be able to return in due course. Although this won't be for a while it's something to look forward to. A lot of work has been done in the past and the garden deserves to be enjoyed once more by the local community. 

Thank you for your visit.  I'm behind with my blogging, but look forward to catching up with you soon.  Have a good day!

My week

On Sunday local daughter M said 'Do you feel like coming for an hour for tea and cake this afternoon?' Usually grandson has a football match, but with all the rain the pitch was waterlogged and the game was called off. Instead we enjoyed the carrot cake that she had made and a mug of tea. The icing on the top was flavoured with lime juice and cinnamon.

For a change I gave daughter M a bunch of flowers.

Looking out on the garden I spotted through the French windows some brightly coloured gladioli and the Virginia Creeper covering the fence was looking vibrant too. Grandson S went out and took some photos for me.

Pretty pansies

On the way to our daughter's home I've noticed what looks like an allotment and have caught a glimpse of some scarecrows through the gate. I asked Mr P to stop so that I could look over the fence.  There was a large plot of land that's a community garden. It looks like a good place for local people and children to spend time, learn about wild life and grow some plants - a lovely project for the infant school who had decorated the laminated information board with their drawings.

Today we had sunshine and blue skies so Mr P and I went to the garden centre to get some more bulbs ready to plant for Springtime and some other plants.

Above is the view of the countryside across the road from the garden centre.  Feeling a little better I managed to put in the ground some of the plants that I bought. I'll write about that next time although I'm having an issue with the internet server again.  The wifi keeps going on and off.  

Thank you for your lovely comments on my last blog post. I'm still waiting for an appointment for treatment at the GP surgery, but I'm mobile so long as I have a good night's rest and rest in the afternoon.