Five on Friday

Joining up with Amy of Love Made My Home and her famous Five on Friday!!!

I've been spending every spare minute I have this week with sewing and knitting for a couple of swaps I'm involved in. Christmas is looming if we like it or not, but I do love creating gifts for Christmas! I think it makes the whole holiday that much more pleasant and "real". 

My five this week, however, is not about the things I've sewn and knit (since my partners would see them here and that would give away all the surprise!). It's probably the last post this year for my garden. Our weather has been up and down this autumn. High of 20C one day, the next day a high of 5C. Coats on ... coats off. Yesterday I actually wore mittens!! for my morning walk with Cody, and they were most welcome with the cold settling in again. With the uncertain weather, some flowers in my garden have started blooming again, while most of them are being killed off with progressively harsher frosts. So ...

... onto the five ...

One

My miniature yellow rose bush. I love this little flower, and it's so happy to bloom and bloom right from spring to fall. All I have to do is give it as much sunshine as possible. I've moved it a couple of times, and it suffered. This summer it has sat right up against the wall around my patio and it is still blooming. These photos were taken last weekend, but the flowers are still on the bush this morning. The blooms are so compact and perfect every time, and the little rosebuds are just as sweet :)

Two

My lavender plants have started flowering again! I've been trying to get this small area of garden full of lavender to make a lavender hedge. It was looking pretty sad last year, but this year, the plants have really filled in. I have two types of lavender here, and was a bit annoyed at my mistake, but they both do well, so I'll probably just let them be. The lavender bloomed in early summer, and I thought that was it. But in the last month, new buds came out and this is what they looked like last weekend. It even attracted a late pollen gatherer :)

Three

My burning bush is on fire!! right now. I love this bush and always intend to pick up a few more in the springtime, but never do! When I see the bush come into its own in the autumn however, I'm kicking myself for not having planted a whole row of these amazing bushes. The red is so intense and complete ... love it!

Four

I have a few balloon flowers in my gardens, and love the unusual flower buds they produce. I don't see them like this in the gardening store anymore. The balloon flowers I find now have closed flowers that burst open as they mature. My balloon flowers stay closed right to the end (which I prefer).  In the autumn, the leaves turn to this beautiful mix of colours.

oooooph!

Five

Mom's iris have finally been moved into my front yard. In August I scrounged around in the back garden and dug up every single corm I could find ... there didn't seem to be many. A lot of the corms were damaged by bugs, and the iris were barely surviving. In the last month, I've noticed the leaves are sprouting up all healthy again in their new home! It gives me great pleasure to see them surviving, and hopefully they will still be here in the spring. I have no idea which type of iris were saved. I'm sure I lost a few of Mom's favourites, but nothing to do about it now except wait patiently.

And that's my Five! I didn't think I'd get this post put together until late this afternoon, but was happy to find these photos and join in :)

Now off to visit Dad, and hopefully the rain will hold off so I can take him out for a spin around along the trail!

Thanks for stopping by!

Wendy