Autumn is officially here according to the Met Office, once September arrives but I like to let the weather tell its own story. There is often plenty of summer left for us. This is going to be a busy season and probably Winter too as we have a few projects on the go which are growing by the day as we keep coming up with new and sometimes alternative ideas.
On my first page for September, I wrote, “The mixed weather of alternating sun and showers continued into September, ignoring the metereologists declaration that autumn arrives on the first of this month. It is actually still Summer!
Late summer is when fruit picking begins, and this year we have plentiful heavy crops of all tree fruits.”
“Pears, apples and plums”
Over the page I continue to look at the fruit coming to ripeness in our patch, and I wrote, “Day by day, there is more fruit to pick, and more for Autumn/Winter colour and to feed our wildlife.”
Quince “Vranja”, Vitis “Black Hamburg”, Blackberry “Oregon Thornless” and Apple “Red Falstaff”.
Viburnum opulus (Guelder Rose) Viburnum opulus “Xanthocarpus”
On the opposite page I look at how plants have responded to this year’s unusual weather.
“This has been such a difficult world of weather this year, with a cold winter complete with icy winds, a wet spring followed by hot dry weather. Plants have responded by doing unexpected things. Several of our Hostas are now flowering for a second time.”
Hosta “Aphrodite”. Beautiful white scented flowers above fresh bright green foliage shaped like hearts.
Hosta “Purple Heart” with rich green pleated foliage, heart-shaped and a perfect foil for the brightest of purple flowers.
On the next few pages I looked at a new project we are developing in our back garden.
“We love a garden project and we have three planned for this autumn and winter. Because our three huge Phormiums in our foliage bed all succombed to white rot we decided to strip the bed out completely and start again. We hope to change the look of this patch and give it a fresh atmosphere. We decided on a gentle prairie look as used by Piet Oudolf at his wonderful gardens beside the Hauser and Wirth Gallery. We have selected varieties of low growing delicate grasses with an emphasis on Carex varieties. We enjoyed a plant selecting and buying day at our favourite nursery, The Derwen near Welshpool.”
“Low growing grasses and pale pinks and purples of airy gentle perennials filled the car boot.”
I finished September entries into my Garden journal with a page of photos of some of the new plants ready to go into the ground.
