Six on Saturday

Posted on October 15, 2022 by davidsgardendiary

And, just like that, Autumn is upon us! The Liquidamber styraciflua ‘Worplesdon’ began her decline at the end of August this year, a full month earlier than usual, so her leaves are already turning crimson as they lose their sugar and end their life cycle for another year.

The Amelanchier lamarckii is also turning from its summer green to that gorgeous, golden honey shade before they too drop and carpet the ground with colour. This is not death but renewal, and both trees will come back bigger and stronger next year.

The previous owners of our bungalow must have planted some Rose of Sharon bushes, Hypericum calycinum, which, despite my best efforts, are still around making a nuisance of themselves 13 years later. I pull them out but they always return. This one escaped my attention by hiding under the beech in the drive border but I must dig it up before those berries fall and cause even more mayhem next year. A real persistent survivor from the 70’s when it was all the rage. Little did they know!

This little patch of Persicaria affinis did not enjoy the full glare of the hot sun in July and sulked for weeks afterwards. Even copious amounts of water did not coax it into flower but now, suddenly in October, it is back again in force! The little pink fluffy bunny tails are enjoying the cooler conditions and the low sun in the lee of the hedge and delighting me every morning as I raise the kitchen blind.

The Chinese Mountain Ash, Sorbus hupehensis ‘Pink Pagoda’, is laden with fruit after a barren season last year. It may be a variety that has a rest year, I am not sure. What I do know is that the pesky Wood Pigeons will be on it shortly performing their acrobatics to strip the tree of every last berry. They are quite comical and never seem to break a branch no matter how precarious their endeavours!

This is a bit of a dilemma. The Cosmos which was planted here, which fell over and was removed weeks ago, obviously shed a lot of seed behind my back and has produced dozens of babies. I doubt they will survive the winter but even if I were to dig them up, I have nowhere warm enough to put them. What to do? Leave them and watch them turn to mush and die? Pot them up and leave them in the greenhouse to turn to mush and die?

This was it before it was removed. Too pretty to lose forever. Watch this space!

Have a great weekend

David

Six on Saturday

Posted on October 10, 2020 by davidsgardendiary

The garden is slowly but surely going to sleep, casting off its bright summer clothes and getting ready for winter. The autumn colours in my little shrubbery are a reminder that all good things must come to an end but I will enjoy the last vestiges of what has been a glorious year in the garden.

Amelanchier, Viburnum and Liquidamber in autumnal colours

The little forest of self sown Verbena bonariensis which jostles for space among the Helianthus ‘Lemon Queen’ and the remnants of aquilegias and foxgloves, are still going strong and provide a focal point at one end of the front garden.

Over the back garden gate, the ever reliable and evergreen Clematis cirrhosa ‘Freckles’ is just beginning to flower and will clothe the arch for many weeks with its pink freckled flowers. In summer it fights for position with an everlasting white sweet pea, Lathyrus latifolius ‘Alba’, which has just been cut back to make way for the show.

The young Chinese Rowan in the front garden, Sorbus hupehensis, is so laden with berries I fear some of the stems might snap under the weight, particularly when the fat, but acrobatic, wood pigeons descend for their annual feast. They will cling on for grim death until every berry is consumed. The Blackbirds and an occasional Waxwing or Fieldfare will take a few but it’s mainly Woody Wood Pigeon and his mates.

One or two stalwarts are hanging on including this fuchsia which refuses to die. It is not supposed to be hardy, was turfed out of a hanging basket five years ago and left to take its chances in the border. It soldiers on, oblivious to rain, drought and my neglect. Every garden needs a few of those!

The Chrysanthemums are just beginning to flower and the first as usual is ‘Romantika’ , a delicate pom-pom chrysanth with pink flowers which fade to white and goes on and on for weeks. Unfortunately, it doesn’t much like the rain and the flowers become a soggy mess after a heavy shower. Still, there are always so many buds that a quick snip gets it back to it’s former glory.

So that is my six for this Saturday.

Have a great weekend and stay safe

David

What Sort of Winter Do You Call This?!

Posted on December 21, 2013 by davidsgardendiary

Well, here we are on 21 December, the first day of Winter and the shortest day of the year. Cathy is wrapping up the last few prezzies and I have been outside washing down the paths and tidying up. The weather has been unseasonably mild and I have actually been looking for jobs to do outside rather than sitting indoors. The weather pundits are predicting a long hard winter which will delay Spring and confuse the heck out of the garden again. But, already the bulbs think it is February! The weather guys might be right though because I have never seen the trees and shrubs so laden with fruit and berries, a sure sign of a hard winter to come…..or so the old wives tale goes.

The little Rowan tree, Sorbus hupehensis, is bent double under the weight of it’s luscious pinky white berries and the Blackbirds are perching precariously on the spindly young branches to get at them.

The Blackthorn tree, Prunus spinosa, is covered in ribbons of juicy sloes, so heavy that the branches are likely to snap. Already, the road beneath is stained blue with the remains of squashed fruit and I am amazed the foragers and gin-makers have not discovered it.

The wormery, which is normally asleep by now is still active and busily taking all our tea bags and veggie peelings to turn into next years ‘special’ addition to potting compost for the very best plants. It can’t last….something has to change soon to send the worms burying for cover deep in the lower trays.

Even the fish still think it’s summer and expect to be fed twice a day! Get down and go to sleep I say! The pump is off and the food is packed away until next year!

In fact everything is cleaned up, tidied up and packed away. The cold frame is empty and ready for a bit of essential maintenance to the lid, the cheap plastic ‘overflow’ greenhouse is full of pots and trays..all washed and cleaned. Where is the snow? I’m ready!

The compost bins are full to bursting with leaves and herbaceous shreddings and, apart from a few last minute weeding jobs, the autumn clean-up seem to be finished for a change.

All the tulips are planted and the only thing remaining to go in the ground is a tray of Cyclamen hederifolium purchased, believe it or not, from our enterprising milkman who buys them in from Pershore College. Two pints of semi-skimmed and a tray of Cyclamen please!

I hope you all have a jolly good Christmas and a wonderful and productive New Year.