One Back, One To Go!

This month we are up and down the motorway again as our children return to university.  Last weekend we settled Fay into her new accommodation for her final year at uni.  She will be sharing with two boys that she hasn't met before.

Sunday the sun returned, so three of us set off for RHS Wisley.

 This robin followed us through the heather beds for a little while.

 There were signs of autumn throughout the gardens.

 The gardens were very busy as it was the last day of the flower show.  I liked this idea for displaying sempervivums in broken terracotta pots.

 I've never grown carnivorous plants, but I might try to do so one day.

These beautiful hydrangeas caught my eye:-

 Dark Angel

 Magical Amethyst

 Elsewhere in the garden my Husband's saw this sign!  We do have a pot of very healthy sage by our patio door! :)

 Lots of visitors to the garden meant the opportunity for plenty of snacks for the ducks.

 This year has been a very good year for fruit.

 We wandered through the orchard.

Spartan

Catshead

Norfolk Beefing

 I caught two naughty boys scrumping! ;)

 The grasses seemed to glow in the afternoon sunlight.

We liked the construction of this bench.

 I wonder if I can get my Husband to make one for me? :)

 The fruit of the Cornus kousa Wieting's Select looked very interesting.

 The rose garden was full of scent.

The Generous Gardener

Lady Emma Hamilton

 Wild Edric

 We stopped to admire the bark on this Katsura

 and were engulfed in the delicious scent of candy floss from its fallen leaves.

 The dahlias in the trial beds were a blaze of colour.

 These flower heads were huge!

 The garden was about to close so it was time to return home.

Back at home I have been pottering in my own back garden and sorting out the greenhouse, which is where I found this little fella.  At this time of year I remove most of the leaves from my tomato plants so that the tomatoes ripen quicker.  I have also staked up my chrysanthemums, which will hopefully flower soon.

 This week I have started a new knitting project.  I am taking part in the Curious Collective 2014 KAL on Ravelry.  The shawl has been designed by Helen of Curious Handmade, who also designed the Pebble Beach Shawl I knitted recently.

I have chosen Alice by Juno Fibre Arts to knit my shawl in colourways Heather Shadow and Raisin.

 This is a beautifully soft yarn.  I am using 3.75mm needles as I felt that this made my stitches neater than the 4mm stated in the pattern.  Not sure if I will need more rows to compensate for the change in needle size or not.

Helen's patterns are a delight to knit and this KAL also has been split into tribes for added fun.  I have joined the Art Deco Tribe and I am wondering whether to add some beads to my shawl, inspired by my visit to this exhibition.

Decisions, decisions!

Pj x