"In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below
We are the dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved, and were loved, and now we lie In Flanders fields." - Colonel John McRae, In Flanders Fields
Volunteers had a quick tidy up on Wednesday, doing a bit of weeding and deadheading. But they’ve spent most of their time making poppy related things to decorate the garden with, ready for our afternoon tea on the 10th. In fact all sorts of people and groups have been making contributions. As a result our garden has ‘grown’ poppies and painted pebbles round our WW1 nurse. And we have poppies flowing down from the side of the garden. We also have a Remembrance tree using poppies made by Brownies and Guides. So come along and hang your ‘thank you’ message on it.
The weather this week has been very mixed, with sunshine, rain, winds. There are fallen leaves everywhere, with them blowing off the trees. Great for the creatures that live in the garden as it gives them shelter. Some milk bottle doves have been fixed along the fence by the veg garden. Their wings flutter when it’s windy. And our poppies wave their heads in it too. So there’s lots of movement in the garden.
We still have plenty of colour too, although each week I find more plants that have died down. We have filled the cold frame in our yard with overwintering geraniums, so hopefully they will survive till next year. We have lots of red chillies in the veg patch for you to pick. So take them now before the cold weather gets them. I’ve been picking and freezing mine.
I won’t be doing the blog every week over the winter, as there won’t be that much to report. But I’ll be doing the occasional blog to keep you up to date. And of course Claire will be adding news and photos to the website as things happen.
The Blooming Old Gardener