Halloween Happenings

I spent Monday morning setting up the Halloween display in the Artful Garden.
Halloo Cat is new for this year.

Stare if you dare

All the scarecrows are wearing witches hats and this season's noses.

 Boozy Floozie is seeing double too much witch's brew

Crazy Maisie is wearing spooky gloves. 

Check out my cape

Boo, did I scare you

A spider's web and skeleton decorate the entrance to the summerhouse.

The skeleton glows in the dark

 Baabaara is wearing Halloween hat. 

Love the pumpkin bunting

DuoRecyclo is wearing Halloween bunting.

This does nothing for my street cred

I have hung up some wreaths in the cherry tree. They are similar to the ones I made with the school children. As the leaves dry they change shape.

Made from leaves and apples

Leaves, ivy and acorns

Leaves and acorns

I have harvested my ghords and put them to dry in my allotment shed.

Smooth warty and two toned

I have been busy catching up on weeding. I have planted my garlic and onions.

Autumn Arrives

This week I have been gathering leaves and berries for a wreath making workshop I am doing with the Reception children at Kirkoswald school.

This is the wreath I have made for my front door.

Berries, sycamore keys and acorns

We found this empty bird's nest when we were stacking a delivery of new logs.

Look at the detail

There are still a few flowers in bloom. This white scabious looks majestic.

The purity of white

The blue salvia adds colour to the border.

Vibrant blue

A few zinnias have survived the light frosts.

This flower has an old fashioned feel about it

Look at this beautiful butterfly on the cosmos.

Usually the butterfly has flown away by the time I have got the photo

Views from a walk around Lazonby. 

Looking towards the Pennines

Looking towards Kirkoswald

These are exhibits from the Cumbrian Artists of the Year exhibition.

Moo

This artist is very talented.

An amazing sculpture

I visited Sedbergh a very pretty town.

Quaint narrow streets

Can you guess what these have been used for?

Potato mashers

These sheep were part of Sheepfest.

Reading his last wool and testament

A tribute to David Hockney

There have been some beautiful morning skies.

Mist over the river and a mackerel sky

Breaking news
My next blog will feature the Halloween display in the Artful Garden.

Brilliant Blooms

Kirkoswald has achieved a gold award for Cumbria in Bloom. The Artful Garden was mentioned in the report.
"It provides interest with many works in addition to a wide spectrum of plants, vegetables and colour." 
The garden also got a special award of  'Magnificent."

A dry weather week has  allowed me to catch up with my gardening. It is lovely to garden when the sun in shining. 

I have been making a series of wreaths from natural materials experimenting using different plants.
Wreaths for the gate into the Artful Garden.

Made from rowan berries, rosehips and oak leaves

Made from apples and acorns

Hawthorn berries and sycamore keys

I am picking raspberries almost every day.

There is an excellent crop of raspberrries

The apple tree is so heavily ladened that we have had to prop it up.

A bumper crop of apples

The sunflowers are starting to die back I am leaving the flower heads for the birds.

A giant sun

I love the cardoons.

Doon yer think were great?

We have had a slight frost but some of the nasturtiums have survived.

Nasturtiums intertwined with the apples

I love rudbeckias.

Look at the spiky petals 

The monarda is still in full flower.

Purple pincushions

Look at the symmetry of the leaves.

Striking

I found this baseball man in Hexham.

Hi I'm a Hexham Dodger

A strange ladybird has appeared in the Artful Garden.

I'm no lady

Look at the clouds floating over the Eden Valley.

A superb views