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Until Christmas Eve the weather continued wet, windy and mild. I had thought flowers were going on later than normal this year until I looked up last year's entry I saw that some agrimanthemums then had been in flower until the week before Christmas.
Last year snow followed the frosts as it did this year on 28,sup>th, the day I was flying to Ireland. I had to ask Ray next door to help me get my car out of the drive and then drove at only 20 mph until I hit the motorway. (When I reached East Midlands Airport the runways were closed)
While I was in Ireland the temperature back here in Leicester dropped to -13 degrees at night which made it colder than last year but it became mild again when the year ended
Plants in flower on Christmas Eve
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Campanula usually flowers in midsummer |
This hardy fuschia usually stops flowering in November |
This hebe is flowering better now than it ever has
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This hardy fuschia hangs on to grace the wall |
Penstemons have not flowered so late before |
The agrimanthemums still show a few flowers
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Inside
I dug up this tender fuschia , Thalia, at the end of October and potted it up. It goes well with the Christmas decorations in the conservatory.I shall cut it back on 12th Night
My back garden has suddenly become more open
After the branch fell off one of his poplars last month my next door neighbour, Ray, had all four poplars cut down. They covered the full width and breadth of his 100ft back garden.
Ray has given me all the branches less than three inches in diameter to put through my shredder. My shredder loves them.
It will take me weeks to get through them all but I should finish up with enough shreddings to do my dahlia beds, part of the kitchen garden and to finish off the front garden.
Plantings made this month
None. On Boxing Day I should have sown the Kelsae onions I managed to buy this year from the garden centre but with all the coming and going at Christmas I forgot. The ground was too sodden to risk broad beans which means I shall go for Meteor in February instead of Aqua Dulce.
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