EARLY NOVEMBER

As it was my birthday (no, I'm not saying!) this week, my daughter came over and she, Mr. G and I all went to try out the new Cafe at our local Garden Centre. It proved to be very good indeed, the food was lovely, home-cooked, and a great place to have a very pleasant lunch out.



Afterwards we wandered round the indoor part of the Centre. They had all their Christmas things out, decorations and presents galore, and although I think it was too early for such things, I enjoyed it very much! I was very taken with these tartan reindeer, who had a really perky expression on their faces!




Baubles, and all sorts of decorations looked very inviting put in baskets.




By the Gardening section we came across these model hens, which looked so realistic I could have bought them all! They were very expensive, though, and for them to look good you would want a group of them, and then you would have to have the right sort of garden (or estate, even!) There were also model dogs and pigs.




Outside, (but covered over, thankfully, as it had started to rain!) there were bedding plants......




.....and loads of beautiful cyclamen. I loved the really dark ones, but they would have been lost against the wall in our hall, so I bought a pale-coloured one with really pretty leaves!




There was a lovely display of foliage too. All told, it was a really good Birthday Visit!




From our upstairs windows, the park and our garden, are looking quite autumnal. (Sorry about the bit of clothes line at the bottom!)




There are some glowing late roses in the park, where they are sheltered from the north and east...........




........And the beech leaves make a gorgeous carpet. This part of the park will be covered with daffodils and narcissi in the Spring.

I wonder what sort of winter we will have this year?