Tree dahlia flowers for the first time at Cilgwyn!!
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
For once November has felt more like the autumn month it is
supposed to be rather than bleak midwinter - remember last year? OK
so we did have 2 air frosts that brought to a prompt end all the
half hardy and tender stuff that had been flowering their socks off
but that apart November was indistinguishable from October. The
mild weather meant I could get on with plenty of outdoor jobs and
take my time to put all the nursery stock under cover and to bring
into the tunnels all the many pots of tender plants from around the
gardens - and save a fortune on my heating bills! Highlights were
the flowering (under cover) of a large potted tree dahlia for the
first time here and continuing to cut the lawns so late into the
year. No signs at the moment that there will be much change into
December.
The tree dahlia
Weather
A mild month with plenty of rain but also some warm, sunny days
which in mid month peaked at 15C and some incredibly warm nights,
on many occasions remaining at above 10c overnight. Just 2 air
frosts on 5 and 6 November, -2c on the 5th and -6C on the
6th.
Garden Update
Garden is looking very tidy for this time of year thanks to the
kind weather, All the leaves cleaned up and spread on the borders
to protect herabceous perennials and I am glad to see the back of
all the Bramley apples - far more than we could ever give away or
use, or to pick. So many of the best ones are outside of the range
of my long apple picker but we have plenty stored away and whether
they have wanted them or not our neighbours have had plenty! And so
have the very grateful blackbirds.
I have repaired the wooden border edges in places where the wood
has started to rot and it's amazing how much interest is shown on
garden visitors or in talks in the method I use for protecting the
border edges, all from 4" or 6" treated x 1"board and a pack
of roofing battens. Those I have replaced were 10 years old so I
can't complain.
I have been able to fully ventilate the frames, greenhouses and
polytunnels on a regular basis so there is no botrytis or moulds
yet and the plants under cover look well and many are continuing to
grow away. Hope they don't get too advanced because there is still
a lot of winter to get through.
It wouldn't be gardening if there weren't a downside somewhere
and 3 current bugbears in no particular order are slugs (so many in
all sizes everywhere in the gardens and protected areas), whitefly
especially in the big tunnel thanks to the presence of tomatoes and
fuchsias there, and carrot fly. It serves me right for bragging up
my carrot crop but recently they have become more of a problem. As
the grubs which cause the damage overwinter in the soil it was
imperative to to dig up all the remaining crop for storing in sand
or peat over winter.
Still plenty of good carrots to enjoy with cabbages, sprouts,
broccoli, leeks, parsnips, beetroot, celeriac, turnips, celery,
salad leaves and tomatoes, together with from store, potatoes,
onions, shallots and garlic.
One last task I am pleased to have largely finished has been the
removal of large clumps of herbaceous perennials which were
beginning to take over parts of the borders especially phlox,
ligularias, hardy geraniums. hemerocallis, asters, anemone japonica
and acanthus. This will provide more planting opportunties next
spring.
Finally I managed in the drier interludes to complete gathering
all the seed I am going to get this year - less than last year but
better than none at all!
Whats looking good?
At this time of year there aren't too many contenders but the
stand out performer by a mile is the tree dahlia (dahlia imperalis)
I have grown for the last few years in large pots more in hope than
expectation because it flowers so late and is very tender, but this
year it did us proud in the large poytunnel. At a 45 degree angle
because at 10 feet tall it was too big to stand upright in the
tunnel, its large clusters of 4" individual flowers is quite a
sight in a colour that I could only describe as "Windowlene"
Lilac/lavender/pink (older readers will get the idea!) with bright
yellow stamens. If you don't like the idea there is a white form
which is absolutely breathtaking especially when planted outside.
Gardening isn't always about instant gratification so I can't tell
you what a thrill it is to have flowered one at last - it's at
times like this I get my greatest gardening satisfaction!
Me showing great satisfaction!!
There are also some cyclamen coum coming into flower, and
helleborus x hybridus both in the garden and pots in the nursery
mostly in shades of white which is usually the case with the early
flowering forms, reflecting perhaps the flowering time of one of
the cross parents.
Cyclamen coum
Under cover there is a good array of plants in flower especially
brugmansias, their scent on milder nights in the confines of the
tunnels even more intoxicating and welcome than in the height of
summer.
Brugmansias in December with lots of buds to come
- amazing
Plenty of pelargoniums and fuchsias too, streptorocarpus.
impatiens including the small flowered but very floriferous
kilimanjari x pseudowintera which will flower all winter if I can
keep it warm enough, and begonias in various forms. I am pleased
that one of my many tender nerines has flowered this year. Even
though I appear to do all the right things they rarely flower but
when they do it makes up for all the disappointments.
Impatiens kilimanjari x pseudowintera
Nerine sarniensis
Any colour at this time of year is a bonus so we don't ignore
the obvious attractions of Christmas cactus and "florists" cyclamen
which are plentiful at this time of year and ideal for a cool room
or heated tunnel/greenhouse. I plan to have some pots of sarcocca
(sometimes called Christmas box because of its usually shiny leaves
- but no box is ever scented like they are) and although fully
hardy and will happily flourish ouside, in a tunnel or greenhouse
they will scent the whole area with a heady, exotic scent. Perfect
for the cold winter days that are surely to come sooner or
later.
Wildlife and countryside
A very quiet and uneventful month after the "excitement"
of last month. However mice are much in evidence especially in the
tunnels as they are nice and warm and there is plenty of food, a
whole tray of recently potted rhodohypoxis devoured over just one
night.
Our most common bird, if one excludes all the pestilent crows
and magpies, is the blackbird. They are never far away and tamer
than robins so they carry on pecking at windfall apples when we are
just inches away from them and will readily take worms from me when
I am turning over the ground. There seems to be a family trait here
with many birds showing white in their plumage to a greater or
lesser extent. We rarely see an all black "blackbird" so will have
to think of another name for them!
An interesting consequence of the mild autumn is the regrowth on
some wild flowers especially hedge or cow parsley and meadowsweet,
both of which are currently in flower. The white spears of emerging
snowdrops are clearly visible too in the hedgerows.
Visits
Three talks in November one memorably in the Metropole Hotel in
Llandrindod Wells, the largest venue we have ever been to for a
talk. A 120 bedroom hotel with a lecture room a long way away from
the car park. It did seem a bit odd however and made quite a
contrast with the homely village halls and vestries that are the
usual venues. Talks on hold now until February when they start
again in earnest until early April. I do miss them and meeting so
many lovely people and kindred spirit gardeners.
We went to a talk ourselves in mid month to a Hardy Plant
Society meeting of the Hereford and Mid Wales Group to hear Val
Bourne, a well known garden writer and speaker, talk about First
Class Perennials. It's always informative to hear how other
speakers deliver a talk and to pick up ideas and opinions to shape
our future talks. It was an enjoyable and informative talk and we
had the opportunity of speaking to Val afterwards. If you know her
writings, she comes across face to face exactly as she does in her
writings and is exceptionally passionate and knowledgeable. A good
afternoon.
Although it seems a strange time of year to go garden visiting
we decided spend a few days in Dorset for my birthday earlier this
week to see Abbotsbury Sub Tropical Gardens near Weymouth and
Bicton Park Botanic Gardens near Exeter. Very different gardens but
each impressive in their own way. It was difficult to choose a
favourite but because of its age (over 200 years since original
conception) strong emphasis on plants and unique location,
Abbotsbury was something very special. 20 acres of intensely packed
mostly woodland gardens still showing lots of colour with many rare
and tender plants. Apart from Christmas Day and Boxing Day the
gardens are open all year round. I can't believe they would ever be
dull at any time of year. There is also a great nursery, gift shop
and restaurant. The highlight for me having waxed lyrically earlier
in this News item about dahlia imperalis, was to see the white
flowered form in full bloom outdoors supported by some large and
impressive blue salvia guarnitica. Dear reader it saddens me beyond
words to tell you that all the pics I took of it to share with you
were not captured by my lousy and unreliable (and expensive)
digital camera. As I deliver my talks using 35m slides I hope they
will record a very special planting combination in a truly
breathtaking garden.
Abbotsbury Pics
The colonial tearooms
Plants from the jurassic era including tree ferns and
bamboos
The Stream Garden with one of the lovely red bridges and
ginko in glorious butter yellow autumn colour
Bicton Park Palm House
Outside and inside views showing lovely "fish scale"
glazing
