The latest Joseph Atkin gardening column from the South Wales Evening Post
The latest South Wales Evening Post gardening column from Aberglasney head gardener Joseph Atkin -
How often do you hear gardeners say ‘the weather is great’ or ‘we are really lucky this month’? Not very often, I should think.
This month, I must admit we have been very lucky so far with all the bulb planting and winter bedding almost done we are feeling quite relieved.
Rain permitting, we have been able to do a good deal of winter work and enjoy this mild weather.
By alternating between digging in the dry weather and cutting back in the wet, this has probably been the first disruption-free November I have gardened in.
Last November, we could not get a spade into the ground at this time. Hopefully, I have not spoken too soon!
This mild weather combined with the wet summer seems to have created a really long autumn with the autumn colour starting in September and still going strong now.
It is good that it lasts but you do lose many of the contrasts.
The Acer and Parrottia are long gone but other autumn stars like Cornus sanguinea ‘Midwinter Fire’ are still holding their leaves.
The Beech trees have finally dropped their leaves but the most spectacular and persistent autumn colour is Tilia henryana or more commonly known as Henry’s Lime. This is an excellent tree for small gardens as it has ornamental spring growth a second flush of growth midsummer and excellent autumn colour on a nicely-shaped slow growing tree.
This tree would combine very well with red or purple autumn colour or as a free standing tree on a lawn.
So I remain undecided about this autumn’s colour, which has been less spectacular but longer lasting it would seem.
One thing that does worry me a little is the emergence of many of the bulbs. Snowdrops and Narcissus are coming up as if it were February in some parts of the garden.
Now this is less of a concern for Narcissus as I know they hold their growth when the weather cools down.
Hopefully, they won’t get damaged by the frost and there is a good solution to this problem.
Mulching really helps protect plants from winter cold.
At Kew Gardens they mulch copiously as they make their own compost and need it more to hold water in the summer as opposed to cold protection in the winter.
This makes me think that this is a good a time as any to get out and mulch the borders before too many other new shoots come up and the cold weather sets.
If you put buckets over the plants that don’t like their crowns covered it is very easy to mulch around them.
Mulching will also help in the summer with weed suppression and there is something very reassuring about seeing a freshly mulched border.
Although this autumn is certainly not without its surprises, we actually have Narcissus in flower in November.
Narcissus ‘Cedric Morris’ which usually flowers in December or January is actually in full bloom at the moment and will hopefully keep going all winter through to spring. Most of the plants mentioned are best sourced through specialist nurseries where the correct advice can be given with the plants.
Tips for the Week
•Mulching
•There is still plenty of weeding to do with this mild weather.
•Keep clearing the weeds off the lawn they have nearly all dropped.
•Remove old fruit canes from blackberries and other cane fruit.
•Keep clearing and cutting back perennials .
•Now is a good time to divide perennials but leave the grasses until spring.
•Look for new planting opportunities especially autumn colour contrasts.
Photos of Narcissus on this slide show from Aberglasney -
How often do you hear gardeners say ‘the weather is great’ or ‘we are really lucky this month’? Not very often, I should think.
This month, I must admit we have been very lucky so far with all the bulb planting and winter bedding almost done we are feeling quite relieved.
Rain permitting, we have been able to do a good deal of winter work and enjoy this mild weather.
By alternating between digging in the dry weather and cutting back in the wet, this has probably been the first disruption-free November I have gardened in.
Last November, we could not get a spade into the ground at this time. Hopefully, I have not spoken too soon!
This mild weather combined with the wet summer seems to have created a really long autumn with the autumn colour starting in September and still going strong now.
It is good that it lasts but you do lose many of the contrasts.
The Acer and Parrottia are long gone but other autumn stars like Cornus sanguinea ‘Midwinter Fire’ are still holding their leaves.
The Beech trees have finally dropped their leaves but the most spectacular and persistent autumn colour is Tilia henryana or more commonly known as Henry’s Lime. This is an excellent tree for small gardens as it has ornamental spring growth a second flush of growth midsummer and excellent autumn colour on a nicely-shaped slow growing tree.
This tree would combine very well with red or purple autumn colour or as a free standing tree on a lawn.
So I remain undecided about this autumn’s colour, which has been less spectacular but longer lasting it would seem.
One thing that does worry me a little is the emergence of many of the bulbs. Snowdrops and Narcissus are coming up as if it were February in some parts of the garden.
Now this is less of a concern for Narcissus as I know they hold their growth when the weather cools down.
Hopefully, they won’t get damaged by the frost and there is a good solution to this problem.
Mulching really helps protect plants from winter cold.
At Kew Gardens they mulch copiously as they make their own compost and need it more to hold water in the summer as opposed to cold protection in the winter.
This makes me think that this is a good a time as any to get out and mulch the borders before too many other new shoots come up and the cold weather sets.
If you put buckets over the plants that don’t like their crowns covered it is very easy to mulch around them.
Mulching will also help in the summer with weed suppression and there is something very reassuring about seeing a freshly mulched border.
Although this autumn is certainly not without its surprises, we actually have Narcissus in flower in November.
Narcissus ‘Cedric Morris’ which usually flowers in December or January is actually in full bloom at the moment and will hopefully keep going all winter through to spring. Most of the plants mentioned are best sourced through specialist nurseries where the correct advice can be given with the plants.
Tips for the Week
•Mulching
•There is still plenty of weeding to do with this mild weather.
•Keep clearing the weeds off the lawn they have nearly all dropped.
•Remove old fruit canes from blackberries and other cane fruit.
•Keep clearing and cutting back perennials .
•Now is a good time to divide perennials but leave the grasses until spring.
•Look for new planting opportunities especially autumn colour contrasts.
Photos of Narcissus on this slide show from Aberglasney -
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