The fifth season in gardening?
Tuesday, October 3, 2017
Since starting to develop the gardens at Cilgwyn from about 1995
onwards, it has always been my intention to extend the gardening
year by planting the widest variety of late flowering plants in all
our many borders. I have certainly achieved my objectives, which
have been augmented every year by new additions. Salvias are a real
bonus with an increasingly wide range available, and to name just a
few others, there are many members of the daisy family, grasses and
hydrangeas, alongside more unusual contributors like strobilanthes,
roscoeas, a growing range of saxifraga fortuneii, along with
annuals like cosmos and rudbeckia.
A novel way of viewing the garden this month from my lofty
vantage point afforded by scaffolding to enable us to paint the
outside of the house, constantly interupted by another picture
opportunity coming into view!
The House Garden
The Paddock Garden
The Picket Fence Border at the front of the
house
Seen close up and looking very well together are Aster
laevis "Star of Chester" and Aconitum carmichaellii
Pernnial sunflower - helianthus "Lemon
Queen" robust and long lived.
Strobilanthes rankanensis, rarer and infinitely better
all round than the more commonly encountered s. attenuata which is
invasive and very floppy. Both are tall to about 5 feet and grow
well in retentive soil and part shade, Rankanensis has class and
elegance - just like me! I wish, Ever seen me in my gardening
clothes?!!
Roscoeas do well here and many have an extended
flowering period into October. This fine form is r. "Cinnamon
Stick" which like all members of the genus does well in some shade
in ground that isn't too dry.
For me there is a seamless link between late summer and early.
and sometimes late, autumn weather permitting In a recent article
in the Daily Telegraph Weekend supplement the author, Tim
Richardson, put forward the proposal, based on the wide
availability of suitable plants, that there has increasingly become
a fifth season covering the period from late summer to early
autumn. I think he shares the same passion as I do for
extending the gardening year, unlike some members of the
horticultural media who take the view that September is the end of
the gardening year!! I am not sure if if I fully
understand why he needs to give his concept such a title but from
my experience, I know where he is coming from! The proof of what
can be achieved by imaginative planting is evident all over the
gardens here, and other gardens we have visited, and there is as
much colour and vareity to give delight now, as at any time of
year.
Weather
This one picture sums up the weather for the month,
gloomy much of the time, wet and little sunshine
A largely dismal month with rain on 20 days. Sunny
days were intermittent with a max of 18C on 3 days - 1st, 2nd and
3rd. Min temperature 3C on 3rd. 9 other days below 10C
Garden update
Despite the very challenging weather which was anything
but the longed for Indian Summer, the garden has looked better than
could be expected.
Part of the shade border in the
Paddock Garden
And the contrasting dry border consisting of sun lovers
especially at this time of year asters and sedums
The lawns have been so wet that my usual autumn lawn
scarifying and top dressing regime has been delayed,
but I will need to make the most of any good spells of weather to
get it done as it certainly makes a big difference next spring.
In addition an application of a specially formulated autumn/
winter lawn feed in October and December weather permitting will
make the lawns look green and healthy all winter. Don't under any
circumstances use a summer feed which is too high in Nitrogen. One
final comment on the lawns is that we (and the birds!) appear to
have brought the infestation of cockchaffer grubs under
control.
New grass growing away well after turf was removed and
all grubs disposed of. No chemicals used as the birds gobbled them
up
Vegetable harvest is good with excellent climbing French beans
(Cobra), over 50 fine cobs of sweetcorn (Swift), a few runner
beans on the late sown variety "Firestorm", the last peas, and a
good range of brasicas and root crops. We also have good salad
leaves as I remembered to make that crucial direct sowing in early
August under fleece to hopefully see us well into October
The day after I wrote this blackbirds moved in for
feast, destroying at least half of the cobs. I caught them in the
act as I had suspected squirrels, rodents or larger birds like
jackdaws or jays.
The last feed of the year from peas and climbing Fench
beans
Late mixed salad leaves and cut and come again
lettuce
In the tunnels and greenhouse there are many fine things to
admire and late cuttings starting to strike, pelargoniums and
salvias mostly. They are a refuge when as it so often has, the
weather cuts up rough.
Grapes perhaps? No such luck. Berries on fuchsia
arborescens which are supposedly edible but other than the odd
berry I am too much a whimp to make a tart or jam!
A beautiful and very different begonia which came to me
without a name. I must try and follow this up
Salvia "Phyllis Fancy" which was all over Malvern
Autumn Show. I have had this one 5 years and it has produced good
cuttings which like all salvias strike easily and quickly makes
good plants if taken by mid summer.
Dichroa febrifuga which I at last (in Cornwall) managed
to purchase in July. In the hydrangea family, it is
not especially hardy so it will be cossetted in the big
tunnel
What's looking good?
Everything you would normally excpect at this time of year, some
later, some unbelievably earlier than usual (particularly autumn
colour on trees and shrubs).
Sorbus "Olympic Flame" This pic taken mid
month, the earliest it has coloured like many other trees and
shrubs this autumn
And a week later; it has already begun to shed its
leaves
Kniphofia rooperi always a welcome sight in Autumn with
rich colour and tall habit. Needs a good few years to reach a good
size to produce a large crop of flowers when it reall comes into
its own.
Sedum "Autumn Joy" and Salvia "Amistad" a really choice
deep blue from dark calyx on a 5 feet + plant. Note that some
autumn flowering sedums have now been reclasified as
Hytolephium, a separate genus.
A lovely single rosebud "Irene Watts" delicacy and charm
amongst the cacophony of colour all around. It is amazing how
many different shades of pink are in evidence all around the
garden. Pretty in pink indeed.
Hydrangea paniculata in a good range of forms continue
to put on a good late show, this one is "Magical Candle" which
still looks as fresh and vigorous as when it came into flower 2
months ago
And I can never resist the opportunity to sing the
praises of the magical H. Preziosa, the chameleon hydrangea.
Flowers and leaves change colour throughout the season, affected to
some extent by the weather, soil conditions (PH and so on) and
where it is growing.
Hydrangea involucrata x aspera Kawakami
group
A rare and unusual cross - a real eye
catcher
Salvia confertiflora up to 5 feet tall, one of several
making an imposing statement at the back of the Red
Border
Autumn composition of Sedum, stipa gigantea and aster
frikartii "Monch" much later in bloom than last
year.
Aster amellus "King George" Shorter with clear
blue flowers, For sun and good drainage
Classic aster (Symphiotrichum) New England
form "September Ruby"
A new perennial to me last year was ageratum petiolatum.
Wonderful powder blue flowers en masse on a 2 feet wide and high
plant. Everyone who sees it falls in love! Easy from cuttings which
is a good idea because the hardiest has not been tested fully. Only
3 nurseries in this years RHS Plant Finder are stated to
stock this beautiful planf.
Fascicularia bicolour a half hardy
bromeliad
There are still some good clematis in flower, this
little charmer, a short scrambling form, is C. x jouiniana -
slightly scented.
Wildlife and
countryside
Pity the poor trees. Ash especially which are even more badly
affected this year by ash die back disease. I know that ash is
known for losing branches for no apparent reason, but on an
altogether smaller smaller scale. 100% of all the 10 trees around
the gardens here are more badly affected than they were last
year.
A small ash woodland appearing through the gloom of
another soaking wet day. Only a few of the perimeter trees are not
affected by disease
There are possible signs of Dutch Elm disease on local trees
(wych elms) including the sole survivor at Cilgwyn Lodge, which is
the 3rd generation from the original tree which was here when we
came. They have the capacity to recover by suckers from the parent
tree. Our current specimen is now 25 years old.
Diseases of Horse Chestnut have been in evidence on our travels
this summer, the further east we have travelled the worse it seems
to be.
But this small horse chestnut in adjoining field
to us has good autumn colour
But no conkers - every schoolboy's dream in 1950's and
60's to be strung up on leather laces and fought out wth every
other conker until it is shattered. I guess that the game has
largely disappearded amongst schoolboys - and
girls?
I had to travel all the way to Hereford! to find these
conkers, thanks to Judy and Andrew.
A blackcap having a rest on a wicker chair outside the
conservatory. First time I have seen this summer migrant, known as
the northern nightingale on account of its sweet song.
In the August News I reported on a mystery impatiens which I
discovered on a bank of the River Cherwell in Oxfordshire. Just one
plant on a long stretch of the river. I really enjoy the challenge
to identify unknown plants I come across in the countryside. There
have been 2 others this year, an unusual green tinged daffodil
subsequently identified as Telemoniius Plenus or Thomas
Viriscent, and what appeared to be a form of Oxlip, a cross
between our native primrose and cowslip which has yet to be
positively named, even though I have enlisted the assistance of the
Conservation Office for Carmarthenshire.
Impatiens capensis
As to the the impatiens, I have,with the help of the
Internet and gardening friends, established it to be impatiens
capensis a wild form from North America which was introduced to the
UK as early as 1823! It is an annual with orange flowers and
a graceful branched habit. I hear you say it seems to be just like
the infamous widely spread Himalayan balsam. It does not nowever
appear to be nearly as invasive in its heartlands the South of
England. I have not seen one in Wales - yet!
For more info go to www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impatiens_capensis
More butterflies on one day than the whole of "summer"
on 28 September. Sedums and asters were the main choice of
nectar
Visits
Three garden visits this month and the annual end of
season trip to Malvern Autumn Show.
A glorious day ensured the biggest crowd we have seen
there
A novel way of presenting dahlias on the Dahlia Society
stand
Amaralids at their peak
Open veg competitionin the Harvest Pavilion
And Giant vegetables
But there is only one master the great Medwyn Williams
who once again won the award for best display His stand
is always crowded. A really nice man and always willing to give of
his time to answer quetions. It was a pleasure to get to know him 5
years ago when I was privileged to be asked to speak on Growing
Vegetables at Cilgwyn Lodge for his Masterclass Vegetable
Weekend in North Wales. What a welcome and a memorable
event.
Part of the National Collection of various forms of
aster from Old Court Nurseries
WWW.kentchurchcourt.co.uk
A regular event over the last 10 years has been a get together
of NGS garden owners and their helpers at the home of Jane and Ivor
Stokes, respectively the County Organiser and Deputy for the
Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire region of the NGS. Always well
attended it is great fun to meet up with fellow garden owners, many
of whom have become good friends. Sadly Jane has relinquished her
post this year and will be much missed although Ivor is
continuing his support role. Thanks for everything Jane.
Jane and her fellow County organiser Jackie Batty in front of
our plant sales
And Jane making a speech of thanks. Ivor her
husband, just in time! coming out of their beautiful
house
