A Quick Diversion

Around the garden.

Things have been happening in the garden since our return from holiday.

The pumpkins are growing and hardening up but are still a pale yellow colour - will they darken over the next month do you think?  We've never grown them before so I'm not sure what to expect.  Whilst in the West Country I saw some in a garden that had tuned orange.  Perhaps here further north it will take longer?  Or maybe we bought seeds of a variety that stay yellow? 

In the summer I bought a tray of six hollyhocks for £2 - this is the only survivor and it is very slug bitten but at last it has flowered.  I'd love to grow these in our garden but always seem to struggle with them.  I think I have to accept that they won't grow in our damp, clay soil - even if, like this one, we keep them in a pot.

The sedum has finally turned pink - this usually happens at the end of August and they are usually covered with butterflies - I haven't seen any on there this year.  

Sorry, not a good photo of the honeysuckle and clematis which climb up and around the side fence.  We thought we'd lost the clematis but it has flowered whilst we've been away.

We seem to be able to grow plenty of these japanese anemones both pink and white and they always cheer me up when I see them.

I put the little bird feeder cups near the bird bath as the blue tits and coal tits pop in and out of the holly hedge to feed and splash in the bath but the local squirrel has found them.   Watch out squirrel!  It's behind you!  Chloe loves chasing squirrels!

We've had loads of sparrows this year - we can easily count 20 at any one time - they roost in the bushes and take turns to fly out and eat from the feeder.   We've had fun watching them!

There was something else in the garden this morning!  Here is a link to Paul's blog so you can see what it was.