These three images were taken in October 2022. I have since been writing about my regular monthly gardening visits on Martin and Judy’s new garden.
This has proven to be such an interesting garden design project, as within a year we have created a garden from scratch. All the following images were taken on October 28th 2023.
Gardening on Saturday consisted of planting bulbs and removing a new flush of pernicious weeds, whilst enjoying the autumnal flowering plants and forming seed heads.
Judy and I have planted bulbs together for over fifteen years. After several years of disasters in their previous home, we now always mix in a good amount of curry powder, as it really does appear to keep certain rodents from digging up the bulbs. This time of year, is also a great time to find bulb bargains, these had 50 % off, so that was a really good purchase.
Personally, the most important part of every ( monthly) visit, is to discuss with Martin and Judy what they are enjoying about the garden. We always come up with potential future design and planting ideas. With this in mind, I need to draw up some sketch ideas for the front garden, which at this precise moment is just turf.
As we walked around the garden last weekend, Judy expressed how much she really visually enjoys the architectural form and height of the perennials, and the forming seed heads. This time last year the garden was devoid of any plants that provided height, in fact the garden was as flat as a flat thing could be. By using perennials with tall sturdy stems and seed heads we have started to create a garden which will continue to provide visual interest for Martin and Judy, and food for the birds through the winter months . These stems will only be cut back once new growth starts again in early spring.
So taking all of the above into account, I would say ” we are really very happy with how the garden is developing”.
In addition to bulb planting last weekend, it was also an opportunity to carry on removing pernicious weeds. – creeping buttercup is on the move at the moment, and Canadian fleabane is likely to set thousands of seeds throughout the garden. If left alone, I know they would both definitely spread with great alacrity to the determent of self seeding annuals and perennials that we want to encourage in the garden.
I like to take a bucket of donations from home for Martin and Judy every time I visit.
This months offerings were some ornamental grasses I grew from seed last year, and divisions of what will be a super tall yellow perennial which goes by the name of Helianthus Sheilas Sunshine – a gorgeous late summer/autumnal yellow flowering perennial with a dark purple stem which grows to around 7 ft tall.
In spring, I regularly grow Rudbeckia Prairie Glow from seed, as by late summer there is a mass of vibrant orange flowers. The only tricky thing about this short lived perennial is that it sometimes does not make it through cold winters. Just to be on the safe side , I gathered seed heads on Saturday and placed them into a paper bag to dry out naturally.
If there is only piece of information you take from this blog, I very much hope that you leave your perennials with their sturdy stems and seed heads intact over winter (rather than cutting them back to ground level) in doing this, you will be provide an essential source of winter food for birds as they forage. I very much hope you continue to enjoy your gardens – stems and all !
Sally Wicks 