House and Garden Updates, 7.11.10

Leaf strewn path at The Deenery

House

We have been working on our 'snug' for a while. It's turned into a bigger job than we expected but we're trying to do it really well. The floor has been vinyl tiled and the walls are all a soft beige and the woodwork white. We ran out of white paint yesterday so I haven't been able to complete that part. It's all sanded, filled and ready though.

We decided to paint the old fireplace surround very dark brown and white. It's quite dramatic and I think it'll look great when it's finished:


Just a rough idea of how the fireplace will look.

Here's one of the white doors and surround:


It's all smart and shiny.


You may notice the shelves to the left of the boiler. They were behind the door into the snug but we've moved them to this new place as when you pushed the door back, it always hit the shelves. I like them there. So far only stuff from the snug has been dumped on them but when we've finished in there, I'll think about what to put on them. Jim's cup for winning the flower section at the Gort Show looks rather good on the top of the shelves I think.

We're off to the UK tomorrow until Thursday, this time to the Worthing end of the country to see Jim's children and Grandchildren. Ooh, lovely Poppy and Sonny. Less exciting is that we're both visiting the dentist! Jim took Buster to the kennels and he wouldn't get out of the car. Jim dragged him out and then Buster stood there shaking. Poor Buster. Then he howled of course.

Garden

I had a quick walk round today to see what was still in flower and look at the gorgeous leaves still left on some of our trees. A short while afterwards it started to rain and now it's raining and blowing a gale. It's good to be inside and warm.


Lovely colours still on the 2 acers and the Liquidamber.


A closer shot of this lovely small leaved acer. When we brought it from the UK it was about 18 inches tall. It obviously loves it in this spot.


I love how violas seed themselves in unlikely places and flower away! How pretty is this little one?


The Spring flowering primula 'Wanda' has got a bit confused with the mild Autumn weather! OK, it does look a bit tatty.


The laburnum leaves are a pretty yellow and my danglers keep their colour and sound all year.


The above mahonia blew down a few days ago so we put a stake in and tied it back up. It seems to have survived ok.


The red dogwood is showing its true colours. An old plough is in front of it.


Gorgeous pyracantha berries.


This pretty sycamore tree is a beautiful yellow up by the gate rockery.


I'm not sure how these dahlia have escaped the frost but they still keep flowering.



Fallen leaves on the lawn


The view to Lough Graney from our fence today.


The magnolia stellata is turning a lovely yellow/green and this rose still thinks it's Summer.


The 2 hedgehogs outside my porch door. The one on the left is now growing perennial alyssum! The alyssum has decided to seed everywhere this year, as has the alchemilla mollis of course:


I love it when things self seed in odd places.


From L - R. The sweetcorn bed, the arboretum with beds and the newly covered paths.

Sandy and BlackJack

Sandy loves to be really comfortable. I made the following 'joiner' of him:


In the first two he's in one of my wool boxes in my studio, in the last one in Buster's chair!

When I was in the garden today, BlackJack followed me about as usual:


He ran up to me as soon as he spotted me outside!

Well, he was on the grass in this photo, but now I can't see him!

Well I'm off to bed now as we have to be up early in the morning. I'll be back Thursday afternoon, after we've picked Buster up from the kennels.