The Gardens of Delargo Towers - December

Here we iz again me dears!

Still cold dark and damp and not a lot going on in the garden. Jon has had a good tidy up of all the dead and dying, but all is still rather grim.

You might not be able to see but one of the Canterbury Bells is still in flower, amazingly, even if a little weak and sad.

The Duckett Road geranium is still doing its stuff too.

Things seem to over-winter better on the kitchen window sill, so we have crammed a few things on. Fingers crossed for the scented leaf geranium below - but it got through last winter with only being brought in for very hard frosts.

Meanwhile in the mini greenhouse, the Regal Pelargonium and Fuchsia Winston Churchill.

And outside are a few we hope to get through the winter, including the Asarina scandens, we have in pots for the spring.

Also a couple of  Canterbury Bells that refused to flower last year should look fab this Spring, fingers crossed.

In the front the daffs are up and a Wallflower and a Gladdy have refused to die like their brethren.

As well as the robust Centaurea waiting for Spring too.

Buds on the daffs already.

We have had massive problems with Hollyhocks. All of our seedlings were wiped out by slugs last year. We were given a couple from our friends at 'Braintree Manor' which have been planted in a disused drain. Fingers crossed when the snails wake up they don't find them.

December, and indeed 2012, are heading off into the past in a few days - so it's fingers crossed for a better year, a better summer and a better life for 2013.

Wishing you all Health, Wealth and Happiness. 


t.


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The Gardens of Delargo Towers - November

Hello me dears.
What a miserable month November turned out to be. Dark, damp and cold.

There was not a lot happening in the garden in fact I didn't take any pictures this month but it looks very much as it did in October.

Cosmos still battling the elements and trying to flower. Geraniums still in the pink and fuchsia ' Winston Churchill' showing off with loads of flower.

The main event this month was re potting the Lilium Regale ready for next year. We were hoping the bulbs had grown this year and they certainly have.

Four hefty bulbs and two about the size of the original three we bought two years ago.

The pot was one solid mass of roots and a bit to wet for the job in hand. I lost too many scales in the attempt to remove the bulbs.

But don't fear they have been replanted along with assorted sized bulb-lets

A big clean up and sort out is planned for the beginning of December so I will take some photos again then.

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The Gardens of Delargo Towers - October

Here we are again me dears. Its the last few days of October drizzling into November. Not that much to see but there is still some flower and colour. I had taken a few photos earlier in the month when things looked a little jollier but they were lost when I accidentally cleared the camera before taking all the photos off it, while I was doing me last blog (click ) -  Tony's singular adventures - Canonbury and back again.

The Cosmos at the front are looking strong and fab but I think we have run out of time for them to put on much of a show:

The fuchsias are on a north-facing windowsill and will have to be moved soon.

Even the nasturtiums seem to have struggled a bit.

While out the back every thing is settling down for Winter.



There is in fact more flower this year in November than there was last year.

A good tidy up is well overdue methinks.

Winston Churchill is still doing well.

The last dregs of Petunias are still giving a spot of colour.

While the spider plant has gone burlesque and will be difficult to take back indoors.

The pelargoniums were a bit disappointing this year. This time last year they were a mass of flower.

Hey ho.

A great year for the pear though. The blossom was lovely, it had tons of fruit, all juicy and full of flavour and is now going into its Autumn colour of bright gold.

It was however not a good year to start a herb collection. The mint was rubbish, the parsley tasteless - as were most of the herbs - and the coriander came to nothing. Only the basil did well but at least I have these to start a collection off afresh again next year.

The great joy in the garden this year was the Lilium regale. From the original three bulbs the year before last, we had several stems this Summer and hope for even more for next.

Click here to have a look - our pride and joy - Lilium regale

It is time to lift them and re-pot so we will soon find out how many new bulbs we have.

More hope for next year - Lupins (above), and strawberries:

We were so pleased with the sweet peas this year. They were planted in the giant grow bag thing with the tomato. Putting them in was a bit of an afterthought. Yet they flowered so much better than the ones planted in the garden last year. I think we will try this again next year but without the tomato.

Just before I close - a quick mention of our recent garden visitor. A fox with a fetish for potting compost! After attacking a 20ltr sack of the stuff (ripping the bag to shreds and making a hell of a mess) it returned, first to disembowel a window box of half dead petunias, and then to do the same to said grow bag thing with dead tomato and sweet peas.

Hopefully I think it's moved on to pastures and compost new.



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Tony's singular adventures - Canonbury and back again.

Well me dears here we are with another 'Tony's singular adventures' I have not done one since May, in fact this one is really only half an adventure.

My journey actually started at Holloway road tube station as my plan  was to visit Canonbury tower. Mission accomplished with lots of photos in the bag I headed home roughly following the course of the New River.

I had, had a fab morning and was feeling rather pleased with my self until some how managed to delete half the photos from my camera, including all the pics of the tower. I am still really miffed with myself but hey ho, here are the remains of the day.

We start with the New River Walk: a lovely peaceful little park which runs along a short stretch of the river itself. This was in fact a leat constructed in 1613 by Sir Hugh Myddelton to bring fresh drinking water to London. There is a statue of him on Islington Green (please don't say you thought it was Shakespeare.).

I shall not dwell on the history of the New River as it's a massive subject on its own. There is a fascinating book on the subject by Robert Ward which is well worth the read . click -  "London's New River" 



Bright but low sunshine made for a relaxing wander through the garden, but not such good light for photos.

I recommend making the effort to visit if you are in the area.

Leaving Canonbury behind it was not long before I found myself at Newington Green.

Now then me dears you may remember that I have in fact covered this area before in
  - click' Tony's singular adventures - To Newington Green '
so again I won't go into detail other than  a few points I didn't cover and to record a rather lovely Autumnal walk.

Numbers 52-55 Newington Green - London's oldest surviving brick terrace, dated 1658

The China Inland Mission:

The beginning of Green Lanes:

I rather like this one - it's part of the old Stoke Newington Town Hall:

Hard to believe you're in London, let alone practically in N1...

Clissold House:

...and back again on the New River:

From Clissold Park, it was back up Green Lanes to Harringay and home.
I just managed to take this from the top deck of the 341 as it lurched and bumped it way over the New River again just past Finsbury Park:

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