First white frost on the coast here last night. Nasturtiums, still in full bloom, looked a bit unhappy but have recovered in the sunshine.

Same for us- we used to see the nasturtiums hang on until the first frost obliterated them but we realise that the slightest frost (down to between 0 and -0.5C) still leaves most OK- if it warms up quickly and there's not much moisture in the frost.

Ours survived, as did the chillies and some tropical exotics, amazingly. 

The frost, and the gale, emptied the walnut tree; I filled two garden bags and a garden wheelie-bin with walnut leaves. For fun, before binning, I raked them into a pile and the children jumped up and down on the four foot heap of yellow and spotted-brown. Walnut releases a perfume somewhere in the triangle of basil, lime and bay. Marvellous.

Great to have an easterly gale at this time of year - it's taken all the leaves away from where they normally settle in drifts on the patch in front of our terrace of houses, and dumped them back in the local roads and alleyways where the council will have to pick them up. Only fair, as the trees that the said leaves have come from are on public land owned by the council

I think the council have access to the 12z ECM, I hear  they are relying on a stiff south-westerly by December 5th

This time last year, I counted numerous crocuses shot up in the north lawn, and the daffodils outside the fire station had been blooming for almost two weeks. This year, I can't see the daffodil shoots and the crocuses haven't appeared at all.

Hi Bert.

Maybe the forecast warm weather will bring them on a bit this week.

I noticed a bit of yellow showing on some primrose buds today.

I went down to my apiary to do a few jobs yesterday and one of the little beggars crawled inside my shirt and got me a good one on my ribs!

Roger

Any general tips on roses for a total amateur?.

I am working in a garden full of all sorts that haven't been looked after for at least six years from information I have gathered.

Do I cut all to 1..5 feet and open the centre and cut out dead wood?.

Anything would help advice wise.Long stems(3-4 foot) straight,crossing,ground shoots.

In general it's a total mess but I would love to tidy it up for spring and don't really know what to do?.

The owner is not a rose fan but doesn't want them dug out.

I understand they are hardy plants,but that's as far as it goes.I've looked up varieties and know some are tea and patio types.

I've looked up about nodes,direction and where to cut during the growing season but some of these things are so tall and stringy with few leaves.

I need a quick general clean up and want to save them but don't want to mess them up.

Please help.

Fancy meeting you here old Boy?

R.H.S. did a study in the 80's on rose tree pruning. they took three groups, one they pruned to outward facing buds and cleared the centres, one the did a bit of that and a bit of just chopping the last was just hacked at  ( chainsaw massacre stylee).

They found no difference in the end results! all flowered as well as the 'professionally pruned' tress/bushes.

As such I just cut them back to a size I want leaving 3 or 4 buds/leaves on a branch?

Hi old dog.

Cheers for the advice.

I think that's the way I might have to go this time around as they haven't been looked after for years.

I  moved into a house in Essex several years ago. All the roses and a few other shrubs were overgrown.  I got out the shears and cut them down to a foot.. The roses all came on very well that year.. Some of the shrubs survived but some had to be pulled out... The roses remained in the garden for nine years and still doing well when I moved..

Hello Tony.

Agree with advice already planted on here. Just add: prune so the pruned branch/stem's pruned plane faces up for stems you want to continue proliferating- rainwater will soak the planed face.  

Cheers all round guys.
I'm gonna go for it.

That good frost a week or so ago stopped the grass growth- that could be good for the crocuses in the north lawn.

The mild weather got me out doing a bit of garden tidying today and I was surprised how many goji berries I have. I can see the fruit now the leaves have fallen.   

It is mild, Bert.

I mowed the lawn today! It has been growing quite a bit - and the moles have gone crazy too.

Mowing round the soft fruit, the blackcurrants looked "broody" - buds rather more ready than I want to see.

I put out a few sticky bits of beekeeping equipment and they soon got attention from bees that live in a chimney next door.

We have had some very heavy rain here in the past couple of hours - lots of surface water. No mowing tomorrow!

Roger

Trimmed the mint this week. Also the fennel as new shoots have appeared. Did see the garlic producing new leaves.  All good for the chooks to devour.. My Azalea buds are now in flower. It is left in a pot to do it's own thing.... Cyclamen under the hebe is still flowering ,so is the blue hebe. The variegated hebe with purplish leaves is showing well .... Pyracantha berries are a very rich orange.. Surprised the blackbirds have not had them yet...

Early irises in outdoor pots showing the first shoots

Had a buzzard in the garden on 12th! Often seen or heard in the area and over the garden, but never seen perched here before! Was in an apple tree close to where 24+ Fieldfares had been feeding on windfalls, so that's the likely reason. There are few rabbits about, so maybe that is a contributory factor.

I notice a lot of nest box related activity among the sparrows etc. Could it be they think it is spring?

Roger

Buzzard back again at 3pm today - spent 15 minutes in an apple tree watching what was going on.

Roger

p.s. Like the ceps?

Roll on spring for the results.

Mowed the lawn today and noticed/avoided a clump or two of snowdrops showing white.

Primroses in flower too.
Moles seem busy!
Roger

Sure is very mild, Roger.

I would worry about early budding followed by a hard spell of frost.(I noticed some shoots on the roses I hard pruned)(any tips)?.

I think the above mentioned primroses and snowdrops are tough though.