The days of long shadows.

The last few days have been lovely here. Frosty mornings followed by bright sunny days. The sun is low in the sky making for long shadows. Driving into the sun at this time is a pain as the low lying sun does’nt get blocked out by the sun visor…a small price to pay for these lovely days. The nights are long now…darkness falling by 5.30. Waking this morning I was expecting another sunny morning but alas there was no frost so the day was cloudy and dull.

Hopefully the frost will return and we will once again have diamonds glistening in the grass…

and gossamer cobwebs to be admired.

The neighbours Cows still have lots of grass to eat in the fields. The mild wet weather we had through September and October ensured continuous growth.

In the garden plants like Lamium…

and Pulmonaria ensure there is still some colour. If the weather stays mild it will be an opportunity to make more plants by dividing these stalwarts of the garden.

Rheum palmatum gives a last splash of colour before retreating underground until next Spring. Here’s hoping for more frosty nights and long shadow days.

Plants for free @ Prospect Cottage.

Another beautiful day in the garden today. On days like this I really have no wish to be elsewhere. Flowers like the little Primula pictured above gladden the heart and lift the spirits. Most of the day was spent lifting, dividing and planting perennials. Division is a great way to get free plants, it is a form of propogation in which new plants are not grown from seeds or bulbs but separated from the parent plant. Division is also a way of stopping clumps from becoming overcrowded and ensures the new plants come true to type. Most of the plants from today’s work are going into a new flower border that is being established. Pics when it is finished, hopefully by end of coming week! 

Pulmonaria or Lungwort as it is commonly known is a plant that can also be divided. This really needs to be done in Autumn or early Spring as it is in flower at the moment. I would’nt have the heart to divide it when it’s in flower, probably would’nt be a good idea anyway.Lungwort is a great plant for shade and will thrive even under trees. The flowers change from pink to blue as they open. The name Lungwort refers to the blotchy leaves, which were likened to diseased lungs in the past, the plant was once used to heal various lung disorders.