My garden in November

We’d been putting off collecting the leaves, but on a dry and blue skied day we could put it off no more. We knew it wouldn’t be the only time we’d be collecting leaves, we have a lot of trees and have lived here long enough to know it’s a thankless task. But I’m not sure we’ve left it quite this long before, though from my vantage point on the stone circle it really did look like the leaves were taking over.

MOH and I are a good team in the garden - he started to tackle the leaves, by mowing the ones on the grass and it wasn’t too long before the grass started to re-emerge. Picking up leaves isn’t one of my favourite gardening tasks, but as you can see not doing it really isn’t an option. I have to remember how much leaf mulch we’ll have in years to come.

While MOH tackled that I set about putting the garden furniture away. Usually that goes under cover on the patio nearest the house, but as there’s a chance that MOH will be working on the patio (chipping out the pointing) at some point in the early spring if we’re lucky with the weather. I decided to relocate the garden furniture storage this winter. The stone circle has already been repointed and so it seemed a more natural option.

By the time I’d lugged the wooden table and chairs up the length of the garden - dodging the lawnmower - and then getting them stacked as I wanted, there was much more grass making an appearance. I also got to cover the pizza oven and while MOH was starting to feel pleased with his efforts, we both knew that there was more to do.

These at the back of the garden was just the start. But collecting leaves is hard work, and pretty dull work too. I was starting to hatch another plan.

And while I was doing that I took some time out to snap the agapanthus and the fatsia, which were both looking good even if the agapanthus were just showing their structure rather than any flowers.

And my alternative plan? Here it is - sweeping them all into a corner for the time being! I’m hoping they’re still mostly there.

And as we finished, of course there were more leaves falling. This one I’m sure was just taunting us.