… for 2018 at least.

It’s been almost nothing but cold and gloom and rain lately, but we did get one sunny, moderately warmer day so I took the advantage to head out back with the boys

While Relic goes out, no matter the weather, Rupert and Burton won’t have many more chances to play outside until Spring.

So we took advantage of the sun, and got the last of the work around the gardens done. The garden decorations are all packed up, and the rakes, shovels and hoses are stowed.

It does feel weird though – despite the gloom and promise of winter, we haven’t had a really hard frost yet, so there garden is still green and blooming.

Chicago Peace continues to bloom, as do the Pincushion Plants. And the Sedum is a nice dark pink now.

The Blanket flowers are still going strong. If you’re looking for a hardy, long blooming plants… try these. They are amazing performers, providing colour from June on.

The Toad Lilies have popped out another bloom. I have a second plant that I’ve been watching every day, but it’s still just in bud. I don’t know it will have time to bloom before the frost, but I hope so!

This one is a first for me… the blackberries are fruiting again! I definitely didn’t expect that, though I doubt they will have time to ripen before the weather turns.

And last… a true sign that winter is on its way…

We’ve hung the bird feeder up and are ready to settle in to a season of bird watching from the comfort of the couch!