October

Ch ch ch changes

Repotted the acer into a bigger pot so hopefully it will do better next year. It’s a wait until spring to see if it survives.

Trees in the garden behind the back wall have been cut back hard. Should make that bed much easier to cultivate next year, much more light and less sticky sap falling from the limes but looks terrible right now and some damage to plants in the back border from falling branches, including the top of the nandina being knocked off (new shoots were galloping away by the end of November, it’s obviously tougher than it looks.) Damage offset by the Russian vine next door looking pretty – the only time of the year when it’s not a nuisance.

Placed two flag irises in the pond though I realised I hadn’t ordered pots for them, so they’re stuck in the pots they came in for a while. Flower buds visible on fatsia – photos from this time last year shows flowers were already out, but the plant looks healthy enough.

Successes

Lemon verbena still magnificent. Guelder rose leaves on one stem turning bronze. Dog woods turning buttery yellow. Valerian is still green and bushy.

Planted a large heather in the big red pot on the table. It’s already in flower so will be interesting to see if it lasts (spoiler, still going strong at the end of November). Geraniums in the window box at the front are still doing brilliantly and glow when the sum is on them.

Hmms

Some buds on fuchsia, but something – storm? Foxes? Seems to have broken off most of the stems. Pyracantha feels low on berries this year, though there was as much blossom as usual.

November

Ch ch ch changes

Lifted the solitary dahlia tuber and packed it in newspaper. Started gathering leaves for leaf mould. Feels very autumnal, although at the start of the month the trees were only just starting to turn.

Cut down the blackened stems of the echinops. There is already new growth showing though at the base. New growth also visible at the base of the fennel, but that has been disappointing this year.

Lifted the water lily from the pond, cut it back and sank it back beneath the waves. It will need reporting next year – as will the sedge.

Successes

Great colour on the skimmias, the mahonias are flowering and the leaves of the dogwood are fabulous. The grass in the pond (forget the name) has turned a brilliant ruby red. There is lots of new growth of acanthus by the nandina in the back bed.

Hmms.

The pond is evidently just far enough off being level to make it impossible to balance plants on the shelf on the right hand side without something to prop up one side of the pot. When it rains hard and the water level rises, the plants float off their props and end up on their sides in the water. No idea what to do about this short of emptying the pond and leveling off the shelf…

Looking back at this time last year I am reminded that I planted 26 pushkina ibanorica bulbs around the pond and in the opposite bed. Not one came up. Not a single, solitary one. Bah.

Weather has been mild then exceedingly cold – down to freezing and snow mid-month  – and then mild again. Heavy rain when the temperature started rising again, and weeks going by with no sign of the sun.