Returning home

Back home after more travels, this time to eastern Europe, where the weather was unseasonably mild and sunny (whereas at home it was wet and windy).  It seems that we’re not the only ones returning to the Cotswolds from the northern parts of Europe; the fieldfares and redwings have arrived in our absence.  At the moment they are mostly turning their attention to the rowanberries, in competition with the blackbirds and starlings, who are taking a dim view of their presence, as is the plum tree woodpigeon who is also trying to shoo them away when it finds them perching in his tree.  I wonder if the blackbirds are also migrants?  We haven’t had much blackbird activity for several weeks – a pair had been feeding on the cotoneaster berries in the front garden but staying away from the main garden – so perhaps these are a different pair.

Rowanberries in the garden

The apples will need to be picked and protected from the birds now that the weather is turning cooler, although some of them are still ripening on the trees, especially the Coxes.  I mentioned in the last post that the Blenheim Oranges were particularly large this year; the biggest eventually turned the scales at just over 500g (about 1lb 2oz).  And there are plenty of cooking apples to store for the winter.

Big 'Blenheim Orange'

Apples still ripening on the cordons

The dahlias haven’t produced many flowers this year, which is my fault as I haven’t planted them out properly.  Something else that falls into the ‘must do better’ category for next year.  There have been three fine ‘Café au lait’ blooms and a few on one of the Bishop’s Children plants.  I’ve always preferred the single dahlias over the showier doubles, but having cut a few doubles in a neighbour’s garden for a village event I’m at least partly won over; this one is past its best, and the photo doesn't do its colouring justice, but it had lovely delicate blue-tinged edges to its petals, and I could be persuaded to grow it in future.

Big dahlia from Liz's garden