We have been treated to an unusually mild autumn but we knew it had to change. Fortunately the frost last night was forecast so it was not a shock. A day or two of relatively dry weather made it possible to empty the last pots and get the greenhouse ready for the last tender plants, so I am hoping damage will be minimal.

A few weeks ago I posted about the ‘White Giant’ zantedeschia that had split its pot. Well I had to bite the bullet and get it out but not without the pot being completely destroyed. It was a square ‘fibreglass’ pot and all the corners were split. This plant, which was too big to pot on again had to go in the garden to take its chances. It should be root hardy so I am not leaving it to die. I have planted it in a rather wet spot and covered around the crown with compost to protect it – and will add more later.

But although it looked fine immediately after I planted it…

This morning it is doing what I expected, after a frost of -2.8c.

It is not the only trauma of the day. The poor cat had to go in for an op yesterday and she now has to wear the cone of shame to stop her washing the stitches. She ‘HATES’ anything like this and we didn’t get any sleep. She was on the bed pushing against me, moving backwards, flat on the bed, catching the edge of the cone if she moved forward. The first cone was split in two when she ran, in a panic, straight out of the cat basket, when we got home, and smashed against the wall. She now has a cut-down cone and has finally settled with her face in a pillow. I don’t think we will get through this week!

But back to the garden. November means mahonias and ‘Charity’ is in full spate. It is a small plant and this is the first real year of bloom and the same is true of viburnum ‘Dawn’

Yesterday the mahonia was joined by some cosmos. Not today!

The crab apple ‘Gorgeous’ looks much the same today as it did yesterday – gorgeous! I am really pleased with this tree and it made a good jelly, the other week. Birds do not seem very fond of the fruits but they are eating the windfalls under the other apple trees.

”Gorgeous’ before and with frost

The chrysanthemums are still providing some colour and the yellow of ‘Margery Fish’ contrasts nicely with the fastigiate Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris)

An icy sky over hornbeam hedges and acacia

But I have been busy too and have been harvesting leeks

And all the tulips are finally planted in the pots. Two pots had (slightly) smaller ‘White Giant’ zantedeschias in and I did manage to get these out without damaging the pots (they are now repotted in the polytunnel) and immediately replanted with tulips. The pots are lined with bubble plastic to help reduce the chance of the compost freezing and cracking the pots. The top is frozen though.

Right – back to the cat!