A VERY WET DAY

I blame the weather.  In the past, if rain was forecast I would have planned ahead and taken some photos earlier in the week.  We've had so little rain I've quite got out of that habit.  So I've been caught out a bit this time, and so I present to you a selection of photos taken in the rain.

This is my favourite Autumn view, looking from the Knot garden to the oak, ash and birch trees.  Night time temperatures have been holding up here, but the trees have changed colour and are dropping their leaves just the same.

I had planned to tell you all about my bulb planting this week.  It seems I was being rather optimistic, as I've yet to start on that job.  At least the ground will be softer when I do get started.

Instead here is some more Autumnal colour.  The Mulberry tree is turning butter yellow.

The sprinkling of leaves on the ground in the second photo is from the ash.

I'm counting those as two (Autumn Trees and Mulberry) and so I have four more rainy plants for you.

The roses are mostly over, but there is the occasional bloom.  This is Compassion, curving it's petals back and hanging her head somewhat with that watery weight.

Alchemilla Mollis is the classic for your rainy leafy photo, but I've cut all them all back the self seeding little blighters.  Instead I bring the super shiny Bergenia to your attention.  That's the wonder of Six on Saturday.  If I hadn't needed photos for this post I wouldn't have walked around the garden in the pouring rain, I wouldn't have discovered that Bergenia leaves were so shiny, and the world would have been a poorer place as a result (or not).

It wouldn't be Autumn without apples on the tree and the absolute impossibility of managing to eat even a fraction of the crop.  The first couple of years we lived here I carefully picked and stored them, and they were eaten by mice, so I haven't bothered since.  The ones in this photo are Bramley's I believe.  

To finish our soggy tour, here is a photo of the Rose Garden.  I'm not sure why I'm including it to be honest.  The only reason was that it was better than the other snaps.

On second thoughts, we will end with this.  My Purple Sprouting was protected from the dreaded Cabbage Whites by this netting, which did the job quite adequately last year.  I suspect that due to the wonders of evolution/Climate Change the Cabbage Whites are now SMALLER and have got through the holes.  I hope they have now done their worst and it will grow away strongly now.

That's all for this week, but if you fancy more gardening tit bits, then you will find more Six on Saturdays on Garden Ruminations our new home from home thanks to Jim who is caretaking while the Propagator takes a break.