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So this month. blogging efforts have been hampered by laptop failure. Tedious but it has made me realise how much I am beginning to enjoy the sitting down and writing process.  So that is good. All fixed, I am now back to it and catching up with news from other bloggers.

October is about Harvest and I have already written about the fruit harvest but have recently been given a ceramic wall hanging which sums up October.  This is now hanging in my kitchen.  It is by Nymolle Denmark and simply called Oktober, thanks Sam, I love it.

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October is no longer Summer and not yet Winter, but this Autumn has crept up on me as family life has been quite full on.  True there are signs that Summer is fading, the sun really has little real heat left in it although the daily temperatures are mild, remaining in the mid teens centigrade. The benefit of the warmth is that Sweet peas are still available for picking:

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The mild October also means that the Dahlias are delightful and remain ready for picking

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On my west facing wall, the Passion flower is still flowering and although I have yet to see any fruit, it thrills me with its exotic looks, each time I come through the front door.

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Of course we all know that the mild spell cannot last , the clocks changed last night and the forecast is for gale force winds tonight.  To try to hold onto the beauty in the garden I dashed around with my camera to collect images of other plants looking good. Below is the wonderful Dogwood, Cornus  sanguinea ‘Midwinter fire’  which I have growing in a large half barrel.

oct 13 006 oct 13 007 Aster species unknown

oct 13 008  oct 13 010 Above is the magnificant Forest Pansy Cercis canadensis which is looking abolutely stunning at the moment.  This is a small tree which makes a spectacular feature in a small garden.oct 13 012 Euphorbia characias subsp. wulfeniioct 13 013 Echinops bannaticus ‘Taplow Blue’oct 13 014Dark berries of the Sambucus nigra

October is always a busy month in the garden and this year is no exception.  The mild spell has meant that the grass is still growing and yet heavy rain and wind has made it necessary to just grab the opportunity for cutting whenever it lends itself.  Then there are the falling leaves which are really only just starting to fall.  These are collected and saved to make a mulch for the garden, especially important on chalky soils. If you have never done this can I suggest you give it a go this year.  Stuff black bags with the collected leaves and tie a knot in the bag, pierce the plastic with a fork and hide your bags in a dark corner of the garden. That’s it! Leave for a year or more to rot away following which you will have a crumbly earthy mix ready to mulch your flowerbeds. Mulching in Spring 2013 IMG_0445

Anyway the forecast for gale force winds has caused a huge amount of debris in the lanes around where I live, but I moved all my pots into a sheltered spot and lay down the bird table so I am relieved to see that we have escaped without any damage.  This area of the Chilterns seems to have escaped the worst of the weather and I hope that you are all safe and that your gardens have remained in one piece, where ever you are.