Gardener's Diary - apples and autumn colours
Day 48 of meteorological calendar
What a lovely week!
The weather has been quite perfect, for the most part - cold, crisp days and sunshine. A few days I worked in a t-shirt!
I’ve been chipping away in the gardens. All my bulbs are planted, I’ve been cutting topiary balls with my Niwaki shears and have even mulched a few gardens. I sometimes insist on mulching this time of year, i’ve taken on a new garden and the soil quality is poor so feel it’s essential to give the garden a head start.
For those who don’t know, mulching is adding organic matter to the soil’s surface to enrich the soil, reduce weeds and increase water retention. I generally order well composted cow manure, adding a layer of 7cm to the soil, focusing around big shrubs and roses. I’m careful not to mulch around the necks of new plants or those who are more sensitive or tender as can cause rotting off.
The roses are still putting out sumptuous flowers, similar to those in early Spring. I believe they will continue for a while and last year, some of my clients roses were putting out flowers pre pruning in January last year (to my disbelief).
The japanese anenemomes are having on and Spirea Japonica’s small pink flowers dangle on bushes, providing nectar for local bees. I adore sedums and consider them a marker for the end of the season, they are great for the garden as they divide so easily and are incredibly resilient plants (also great for pollinators too).
I’ve noticed the robins are out, I will see a flutter out of the corner of my eye. Next, a small little bird will land next to me, sat on a garden fork or a nearby chair - watching me inquisitively.
Up close, I’m able to see their delicate brown feathers, glassy black eyes, thin spindly legs and feet and it can bring tears to my eyes. Bird’s have always wow-ed me and lately I don’t see birds as often.
They have less habitats due to deforestation, pesticides have affected them as well as the change in their climate disrupting the weather patterns and seasons, non native species and diseases like avian flu. If you want to support a bird charity which helps birds, I’d suggest the British Trust for Ornithology over RSPB.
The Autumn colours are continuing to evolve and aren’t they spectacular? We all have a favourite tree and I’ve found a new favourite on my way to my local tube station. It appears to be some species of Fraxinus (Ash) and has changed from purple to red and yellow.
I also pass by a huge Parthenocissus quinquefolia which hangs over the wall and is a stunning red and yellow!
Allotment
Big news…I grew my first broccoli - what a sense of achievement. It’s currently waiting in the fridge waiting for the perfect meal. Maybe roasted or a broccoli pasta?
I attended my allotment AGM last week and it was all very charming. Everyone bought their own chairs, a few plot holders made cakes, using allotment produce and they used a tea urn which they set up on an old fold out table. Everyone brought their own mug and after the meeting, we stood around discussing vegetables and drinking tea, munching on apple cake or flapjacks.
A kind neighbour gave me huge cooking apples, so shiny and perfect like Snow White. I made an apple and plum crumble - the apple were tart but also a little sweet so no need for me to add any additional sugar.
The plot is going to bed now, the tomatoes are finished and I’ve been harvesting cabbages, kale, the last of the sweetcorn and cucumbers. I’m waiting patiently for my butternut squash to ripen up - they are so late, around the size of pears. I’m hoping they might miraculously ripen, however with these colder mornings, I’m not feeling so hopeful.
Also, amongst my cabbages, I’ve had a few brussel sprouts develop. The slugs polished most of them off but to my delight, I have two plants which survived. Did you know that growing brussel sprouts is a good indicator of soil quality and fertility? Last year, pre mulching, my brussel sprouts were tiny like broad beans but this year, they are already plump as cherries.
I hope you are all having a good weekend - the rain is gently falling outside and I’ll be off to the nursery later :-)
Seeing Robins whilst gardening on my little plot also fills me with so much joy! I feel like Robins are attracted to gardeners because possibly they understand that there may be worms closer to the surface that we have unearthed whilst digging? Not sure if that's true or not but there seem to be lots of these lovely little ones hanging around whilst I'm planting bulbs, gobbling up the worms that I bring up from the soil (sorry worms!).