Overgrown front border is sorted
We’ve been taking advantage of the mild start to autumn by sorting out the overgrown front border. Everything has been dug up, apart from Prunus incisa ‘Kojo-no-mai’. Some plants have been put in a new bed in the orchard and others are in pots awaiting replanting.
A large clump of Siberian iris ‘Tropic Night’ proved difficult to remove, taking two of us to finally get it out. I’ve managed to divide it up with a saw and replanted some, with other bits potted up for the plant stall at our open days next summer. Turf was ordered and my husband spent a couple of days laying it. The day after the final turf was laid, Storm Callum arrived with two days of torrential rain, so the grass should be well watered in! I’m so pleased with this area as it looks much better now, and the prunus can be appreciated all the more.
Autumn leaf colour around the garden is stunning this year. Various acers have coloured up really well, along with the prunus in the ‘new lawn’. Viburnum plicatum has turned a beautiful deep red and its neighbour, Hydrangea quercifolia, complements it perfectly. It’s not just colour from the trees though. Cercidiphyllum japonicum, or as we call it, the candyfloss tree, has almost lost all its leaves. However, the burnt sugar fragrance the leaves emit has been pervading the garden for weeks.
We’ve had the best crop of apples yet from trees we planted when we moved in. Four crates of mostly ‘Bramley’s Seedling’ were taken to a local fruit farmer for juicing. This yielded 38 bottles of juice along with another five gallons, which is bubbling away, turning into cider. We’re enjoying eating ‘Blenheim Orange’ and an old variety ‘Pitmaston Pineapple’ – both are delicious!
Tales from a Country Garden 