An Enchanting Autumn Show

October brought autumns rich tapestry, as the trees in our arboretums gradually change into their autumn finery, before finally shedding their coats. It is a particularly good year for colour, and right now is just perfect for a walk around the grounds and gardens.
It is changeover time for the bedding too, and we are in the process of lifting all the summer flowers, which have become tired and bedraggled, and replacing them with our winter displays. Before we plant our bedding plants though, we must first put in all the tulips, hyacinths and other bulbs that will make up our spring displays, so there’s quite a bit of planning needed.
We had over ten thousand this year, as well as recycled bulbs from last year’s bedding displays that we re-use elsewhere when possible. The most exciting new additions for me are the new varieties we are adding to the Irish heritage daffodils that we are planting along our Winter borders. There are now over 200 varieties that all originate from Irish breeders and will form a fantastic display in the spring.
As we prepare for the coming Winter, we are busy cutting back, mulching, digging out, dividing, and protecting where necessary. If you look after your garden now, it will reward you in years to come. Our fruit and vegetable areas are currently undergoing their autumn tidy. We are organising our beds for next year and planning where to plant what. We have a crop rotation system in place, which helps prevent pests and disease and keeps the nutrients in the soil more balanced. We will shortly be planting out garlic and shallots and sowing sweet pea indoors for next year’s crops. We are currently keeping glasshouse vents open overnight to encourage leaf fall on our indoor fruit such as peaches and grapes. The grape vine needs to be fully dormant before we start to prune it.
Other jobs we will be doing over the next month include lifting and dividing herbaceous perennials, wind lopping roses, spreading compost and digging over vegetable beds, leaf collection to form next year’s leaf mold, lifting dahlias, begonias to overwinter inside, fleecing tree ferns and tender plants to protect from frost, and the planting of new bare root hedging and trees.
Our teams of garden volunteers have been a huge help this year and I can honestly say we would have struggled without them. We would welcome any new recruits. We meet at 9.00am every Wednesday and Friday (weather permitting) and finish at 1.00pm. It’s a lovely social occasion and we try to keep it interesting and varied. Contact me at [email protected] for more information.
It’s a very busy time of the year for us here in the gardens and usually, in my experience, the time when you achieve the most. Come and see us in November! Adam

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