Storm Austen is on the way ! ⛈️🌧️

The calm before the storm .  The first named storm of this winter . Storm Austen .

So we've been busy in the garden , doing a few last minute jobs before Storm Austen comes in .

Ricardo did a great job tidying the labyrinth .

The Cosmos are looking lovely now , but I needed to sow some Sweetpeas in there for a nice early display in the spring .

                             I always sow mine in the Autumn .

        

                   I scattered them around the cosmos .

There are some Cosmos seeds in there as well as the Sweetpea seeds .

           I covered them with a layer of nice fresh compost .

We can enjoy the Cosmos flowers for a bit longer  .

Not sure how they will cope with the strong winds over the next couple of days . 

   At least the rain will get them all to germinate . I will wrap fleece around the teepee as it turns colder , to protect the seedlings .

This is the first time I've ever grown Cosmos and I am delighted with them . I hope to grow some different varieies next Spring .

 Let me know your favourites !

Meanwhile in the shed ........

Something has been nibbling all of my lettuce seedlings !  I can't find any snails or slugs so I am completely baffled  😔   

 I hope I can save them , I have sprinkled a few slug pellets down around them .

 Heartbroken  😔

However we are having  some luck with the late second planting of Spuds in Tubs !

Not as many as the first early planted ones , but we have had two meals of the most delicious buttery yellow fleshed new potoatoes and there are more still to come !

   Ricardo took charge of growing these and he's very pleased with himself !

I worked really hard clearing brambles .

 

 A whole wheelbarrow load ! And I fixed up the wire fencing around Agave ferox.

It is so big now ,that I think I will only be able to throw an old coat or an old duvet over it if we get an "Arctic blast " warning . 

  I'm hoping it will  put up a massive inflorescence , flower spire soon .

I am amazed at the Acer "Bloodgood" It being late October and it still has it's leaves !

Musa basjoo -  

Last job of the day , was to fix up a double row of pigwire and old plastic trellis stuff to protect Musa basjoo . 

...and squeeze some old compost bags in between them as a bit of a windbreak .

If it turns really cold , I have a plastic cloche to put over it .

And I brought in the washing off the line and that is all I'm doing for today !

             Peace and Love  🕊️🤍

                                 Stay safe in the storm !  

                                         Love Debbie  💐 x