CHRISTMAS WISHES FROM JOANNE'S COTTAGE GARDEN

HAPPY CHRISTMAS AND ALL THE VERY BEST FOR 2022

2021 didn't start very well for me. I was diagnosed with Triple Negative Breast cancer early in January, had a mastectomy early February and started Chemo therapy in April ending in June - Urgh! the chemo totally wiped me out.

Mike did a wonderful job in the garden which I was unable to tend to for many months and he's done a wonderful job this Autumn tidying up for the Winter.

So here are some photos to give winter cheer.

Thankfully I was well enough to plant the Dahlias out and although we lost some of the large flowering ones in the late very cold spring in the cold greenhouse, most survived.

We really struggled with our hanging baskets, all the plants we bought on line were awful, most died but thankfully our daughter Rebecca managed to buy a second lot from the garden centre in Chessington. I particularly like to use Surfinia Petunias because they flower so well. 

Mike takes particular care of the hanging baskets and tidying the front garden - I think he just enjoys the excuse to chat with the neighbours.

This is the first year I have grown these large begonia from tubers bought on line. They performed very well so fingers crossed they survive storage for next year.

This lovely bench was given to us by our next door neighbours as the wood was rotten. Mike bought new wood and restored it. It makes a useful seating place especially with family visits outside, due to health concerns. This was the first of several restorations.

In the bottom left of the photo you will see a small section of edging tiles which we were given from our daughter Rachel's garden. They are lovely and Mike painstakingly put them in around the sides of the front garden.

A birds eye view of the front bed with the white Phlox making a good display. Many years ago they were pink as can be seen in blog posts years ago. Very strange how they have reverted to white.

These lovely Galtonia Candicans I have grown in pots for a few years but decided to bring the pots into the front garden, they were much admired by passers by.

I got Mike to bring the evergreen Agapanthus, which are large flowering varieties to place in the front bed. They add another dimension to the riot of colour.

Clematis Vitacella Etoile Violette still doing well. I have lost most of the other clematis from the front garden down to just three these days.

I tried some Hollyhocks from seed I collected from a local garden, although affected by rust they were lovely flowers.

I often forget to post photos of the Agapanthus, which look lovely surrounding the grass in the back garden. Thanks to a kind neighbour giving us a table another bench and chair and Mike's restoration we have a lovely seating area for when family come to visit.

This lovely evergreen Eucryphia is always worth celebrating.

Cuttings from Hydranga always look nice in pots when they start to flower often in their first or second year.

Not a very good photo but this is another Eucryphia  Pink Cloud, it is a smaller tree and such a delight well worth growing even in small gardens.

Despite my bad start to the year I have had a ball with my new hobby of spinning and weaving which you can see on my other blog 
https://orangecottagescrafts.blogspot.com/ 

MAKE THE MOST OF EACH DAY AS IT COMES XXX