First frost last night, sign of things to come! Beautiful clear blue sky today, very cold but not raining for a change. It has been a very wet, miserable week and not much proper gardening done. A few weeds removed here and there, some biennial Honesty seeds sown, Pelargoniums removed from summer containers and some carefully chosen perennials cut back, but that was about it. Still, I did sort out the mounting pile of paperwork in my study!
About five years ago, I smushed (technical word!) Mistletoe berries from a Xmas wreath into some cracks in my old apple tree. It has been a painfully slow process but it is now growing away well. I think it will need another couple of years before I cut my first Mistletoe for Xmas decorations but I am really hoping for Mistle Thrushes to appear!
Just a week after pinching out the tops of the Sweet Peas, the side shoots are already beginning to appear. I still find a lot of people who don’t do this and end up with long straggly single stem plants which will never do as well as branched plants. Of course, this only applies to autumn sown seeds that are overwintered.
This Little Owl is a regular visitor to the garden but quite elusive most of the time and doesn’t care to be photographed. I suspect it has discovered the field mice under the shed or around the compost heaps. I certainly hear owls in the garden most evenings, which I really enjoy.
Another regular visitor is this Great Spotted Woodpecker who feasts on the sunflower hearts meant for the Blue Tits and finches. He (I know it is a male due to the red marking on his head) is in his winter plumage and looks magnificent! I hear him drumming in the nearby woods and his call is quite distinctive.
Finally, Clematis cirrhosa ‘Freckles’ is beginning to emerge from its summer dormancy and enjoy the colder weather and shorter days of autumn and winter. It will go on well into January and completely smother the arch with these pretty purple and creamy white bells.
Have a great weekend
David
Davids Garden Diary 
Lovely shot of the owl, I hear them in and around our garden, but have yet to see them. I will be adding clematis freckles to my wish list.
Love the owl. I’m envious of your ‘Freckles’, mine appears to have died.
Love the Little Owl, we have them in the village, but I’ve never seen one, we have Tawny Owls, that maybe why. My Great Spotted Woodpeckers just go for the peanuts or the fat balls, never seen them on the sunflower hearts.
Oh my, the Little Owl is adorable, how lucky you are! I am not ready for frost just yet, hope it will hold off for a while here. Enjoy the sunny day!
Another great Saturday selection. Thank you!
Wow, your wildlife photos are superb! We definitely hear owls and woodpeckers about, but rarely even see more than a flutter of wings. There is one particularly bold woodpecker that likes to eat from the birdfeeder then peck around the kitchen window wall as if to announce his presence. I’m also very impressed with your mistletoe! How many plants did you get to sprout?
Hi Angela. It is unusual to see owls during the day but our Little Owl doesn’t seem to mind. He sits there quietly for up to an hour, perhaps sleeping, difficult to tell. Certainly resting, possibly digesting last night’s mice!
I only ‘smushed’ two Mistletoe berries into the crack and got one plant to grow. I understand it is not usually that easy. Birds normally achieve better results by eating a berry and wiping their beaks on the bark to clean them.