The chamomile bank had been a big disappointment for the last two years and the under gardener and I have decided to admit defeat and change the whole thing during the winter.  The fir trees to the one side are to be removed as they have got just too bit and then a set of steps is to be positioned into the bank giving another way to and from the terrace.  We are considering new railway sleepers to make the steps and then planting at each side ( yet to be decided ) however taking all of this out and having a big change round should add a new dimension to the garden for next year and as projects go should not be too difficult or too expensive, hopefully! 

The little trees that we planted on the road side of the bank garden are making good progress.  I hope by the time we open next June they will be quite obviously a hedge in the making.  The bank itself continues to prove very difficult to work on.  It has come a long way but the angle continues to prove a challenge and when it comes to the ground elder, well, does anyone know where I can get any napalm from. 

I said that I would never do it but I have.  I vowed that I would never have glasses hanging round my neck but I have.  I swore I would not go round the garden with glasses dangling in front of me but I do.    Well it is that or cut things off in the wrong place!!  It started with the snowdrops, that is when I had to put glasses on to see which kind I was dealing with and then it has been downhill all the way and now my Tesco cheep and cheer full glasses swing away as I potter round the garden.  But, know this, I had NOT having the slippers with the zips up the front. 

It is at this time of the year that the hanging baskets look very sad and I cannot wait to change them, and that is exactly what I have done.  A bit early I know but all the mistakes I thought that I had made in the one basket became VERY evident so they all had to go.  There is something quite cathartic about stripping them out and re-planting just the two at the front of the cottage.  Pansies of course and grasses but they do make a Cherie show for most of the winter.

I think it is safe to say that we are having and Indian Summer.  I do enjoy this time of year despite the garden is now being prepared to wind down for the winter.  I have been stripping out quite a few of the beds and re-planting with new plants to extend our "catalogue" (how grand can you get) of plants that we have.  At our NGS day It was commented that I do a good deal of repeat planting.  I do but this is because cost is an issue and I have started with plants that quickly bulk up and I can lift and devide and so fill the large amount of new borders we have created.  Now I hope to be in a position to remove some of those plants and add new and extra interest into the garden.  I can feel some retail theropy coming on so I must be off!!  

It is that time of year.  The greenhouse needs a good clean out.  It is one of the jobs I put off and off.  It takes a whole day to move everything out, clean the windows and then put everything back in.  I just love the job when it is finished but how I hate cleaning all those windows.  Of course now soon is this job finished then it will be time to bobble wrap it ready for the cold weather!  I have all ready cleaned and tidied up the holding pens at the side of the greenhouse with the plants that will be kept over winter for next year either for our garden club plant sale or our NGS day and they will soon be joined by others as I get to work lifting and dividing plants as soon as we get to October.  I just love the cyclical nature of gardening, there is something very comforting about it and I just LOVE plants for free! 

We get through a good deal of potting compost and for some time now the under gardener has been saying that we could put our own compost thought the chipper/shredder machine and turn it into fine compost.  Well we gave it a good yesterday and the results were nothing short of spectacular.  To say I am thrilled is an understatement as this will save a good deal of money each year with which I can now buy plants!!!!!!!