Winter is coming at last

It’s 3.50 pm and we already have a beautiful pink sunset behind the fir tree. They are predicting our first hard frost, tonight but we had a lovely sunny bright day. I have been in the garden potting the fuschias from the summer hanging baskets and digging up the dahlias and begonias to store over the winter. Gosh, my hands were cold! Usually I have to do this by early November at the latest but we have had an incredibly mild autumn. There is still a calendula in bloom, also a geranium which is in a large pot by the door and will have to take it’s chances as it’s too big to bring indoors. The rest of the geraniums and the fuschias are either on the kitchen window sill or in Hubby’s greenhouse. I hope he remembers to water those as I can;t get up the steep path to the back garden in the winter. That is his domain.

A little over two weeks to Christmas and I’ve still loads to do. Haven’t got the family presents yet or done the cards apart from those that are going abroad. We can’t find a tree anywhere. The man at the garage up the road, where we always got one has gone upmarket and only stocks those that don’t drop their needles and a few bluce spruce. I love blue spruce but can’t afford his prices. I don’t like the ones that don’t shed, though, as they also don’t give out a smell of pine which, to me, is an essential part of Christmas. If we can’t find a tree we can afford, I think I will bring in my own blue spruce that I have grown from a seed bought on our trip Colorado nine years ago. It’s still only about a foot tall but very pretty.

I will post my photo later this evening.