Greenhouse Winter Protection

 I am hearing people saying that it is going to turn very cold during next week . So I pulled down the shade netting running the length of my little 10ft x8ft greenhouse under the rafters so that it will now become windbreak net and give all my plants some protection from the wind as I enter through the door .
  I have hooks around the door to fasten it to and it is easy to step in and refasten the windbreak net quickly as I go in , behind me .

    Here it is pulled into place around the door and if the wind is really wild I can weight the bottom of the netting down with a couple of pots . After locking up , I also plug the keyhole with a piece of polystyrene or cloth to stop the draught and also prevent the lock from freezing up .

        I then use a roll of bubble/foil insulation to roll out over the rafters  .

I just need to fix up the other end of the roll somehow and right now , I cant remember for the life of me , just how I did this last year !  So I need to go and work it out again and I,ll update you on that later on .

       I have put polystyrene sheets under the most tender plants and have newspapers at the ready to throw over the plants , which are mostly Cacti , Succulents and Epiphyllums .  Oh ! and a few Pelargoniums .

I have candles for when we get freezing and frost warnings....which is rare here , but wise to be prepared !
 Winter preparation list - lots of little ,but important , jobs to be done .
 I must find (somewhere in the shed ) and have ready the bubblewrap cover to slip over the water tap .
Bringing in logs for the fire .
New hot water bottles ....and I have already begun using my old stone hot water bottle !
New duvets and blankets for beds and cosy throws to snuggle into on our sofa and chairs .
Cleaning the pathways around the cottage so nobody slips and falls -  we had someone come and do this for us .
Gathering in my beautiful apples and freezing away for pies , crumbles and apple sauce  -  sad as someone came and stole my best apples .
 I planted my trees , watched the bees enjoying the blossom , waited patiently as the apples began to ripen and then just the week before I was going to harvest the best ones . Some very dishonest person stole them right from my back door !
  Little by little the jobs are done .
The rain is lashing down ....
 Are you ready for Winter ?

Surprise Echinopsis Cactus Flower

I was very surprised to see this old cactus of mine with two buds on it a few weeks ago and had half expected these buds to drop off so late in the season .

 Delighted to see that one of them made it to fully bloom before all this miserable and gloomy weather started . Gales and heavy rain showers ....it is coming up from the South though so it is still quite mild . They are saying that it will be turning much colder next week .
 I will be pulling a roll of foil and bubble insulation over the greenhouse rafters later today and checking my supply of candles to go in the lantern on the coldest nights .

                             I am so delighted with this pretty pink flower .

  It is an Echinopsis , but I have no idea which variety it is ? So please if anyone knows please do let me know . I,d like to put a label on it .

Blackbirds Robins Choughs

 Birdie Girl ....my little friend..in fact she's one of the family ....September 9th she came to show me why she wouldn't  be coming around  for a while . Feathers you see?  Fallen out ! A couple of years ago she lost all her feathers from just the crown of her head at about this same time of the year . How she survived the cold Winter I just don't know ..but she survived !
 However ,this time I could see that she had  lost all of the feathers from her head and neck poor thing....she took her grape and flew away into the Blackberry bushes behind the shed .

So today is the 5th October and I haven't  seen her all this time  and she is quite old now and that Sparrowhawk has been around .
  I was sorting out tubs and pots that had been neglected round the side of the shed .
   Making cuttings out of some sad looking succulents and a large vicious Aloe ferox , when I heard a familiar peeping sound .

   There she was ..up in the tree ! ..... the sweetest Blackbirdie Girl  in Cornwall !

   I moved one of the tubs over to reveal some nice juicy fat worms for her ....

 .....and she immediately flew down . People ask me "How do you know it's her and not another Blackbird ? "  Well she has a couple of twisted claws on  one foot ...but even before she had that injury , I could recognise her ....she knows me , she comes when I call her , she sometimes will come to my hand  for grapes and  she talks to me !  :)

 While she was on the ground , I was able to see and check on her head feathers .

 I took lots of pictures so that I could have a good look close up later on .

 Very relieved to see that her feathers have almost come back , pretty much over all of her head again ....so she's going to be alright  ! 

 Next job was to smarten up this Trachycarpus fortunii  .
      Tidiness and orderliness is the way to go now as we head into Winter .

                                      That's better..what do you think ?

                                             
                ....and my other little friend flew down as soon as I stood back !

 Next job give the Epies in the greenhouse a watering . Lovely and warm in the greenhouse . I noticed my Lophophor williamsii in bloom again , it is always blooming ....but I am really excited to see this other cactus with two buds fast swelling ......not so excited to see  mealie bugs on it , but no worries , I will deal with them .

Came in for for lunch and then off for a walk at the Lizard Point again ......this photo is one I took the other day ...I forgot my camera this time and guess what ?
  Yep , we saw four Choughs just a few feet away from us on the cliffs and a sweet baby seal on the rocks  !
  Anyway , it made our day !   
As we walked back to the car park it began to rain , we got back to the car just in time .
 I think there will be more rain tonight , before another lovely sunny day tomorrow .....which is how we like it !