Autumn Lawn Care

This week has been one of my least favourite garden jobs, forking the lawn (at my age the knees seem to ache afterwards). This must also be accompanied by scarifying and removing the dead thatch and moss, to let the air get to the soil. Keeping a nice lawn in our climate is a perpetual challenge. It is certainly one I have yet to master but like most hobby gardeners I will keep persevering. Given that the only other option is to do away with lawn altogether I will have to keep at it. Personally, I think most gardens are lacking something without a bit of grass to sit on, I would go so far as to say it is a complete anathema if you have the space not to have a piece of lawn. It is also rather British to have a lawn to mow! It also makes the perfect relaxing space, just ask Mili.

I am aware that there is conflicting advice about whether or not to fill in the holes after forking. Brushing sand in may just prevent air getting down to the roots or does it help long term to improve the drainage? Personally, I leave the lawn sand but do apply a helping of proprietary autumn feed a few days after it has been mown. However, I remain to be convinced that this is entirely the best regime for our plot.

Shorter Days and Colder Nights

The cottage beds have now had the last of the potatoes harvested but there is still a little colour left in the flowers.The two cats are enjoying the limelight. Steps are now even closer to completion while posts and bricklaying are now complete. Treads and handrail still tbc. Autumn is very much about tidying up. Most of the lawns have been scarified and forked as deeply as I can. I find the advice about lawns quite contradictory, to brush sand into the holes or not? I think most gardens benefit from a little lawn but my goodness they are certainly the most time consuming part of the garden. My advice is grass is lovely but beware of becoming a slave to the lawn!

Days are noticeably shorter and temperatures are falling. I am awaiting the first frosts so the half hardy plants will be brought under cover. Agapanthus, dahlias and some of the lilies are now in the cold frame. This protection of the more tender plants is something the gardener should not take for granted. Learning what will survive in your garden is often a matter of trial and error, I have found to my cost that even plant labels can be misleading. 

Successes and Failures

It seems to me that 2017 has seen more than  usual garden disappointments. So to cheer myself up I thought I would list the surprise successes to try to balance matters out. I am realistic enough to appreciate that gardeners will inevitably have their set backs and out right failures. Perhaps I  have a higher proportion than most, partly because of the hostile conditions but also because of stubbornness. I admit to not taking defeat lightly; why I imagine I can grow certain plants I do not know.......

Failures
~ the blackberries, victim I suspect of a virus from the neighbouring wilderness just beyond the top of the garden
~ the dahlia, not a single bloom despite being over wintered very carefully in the conservatory
~ the millet jester, for the second year I have attempted to grow from seed. They germinate and start to grow but promptly die when taken outside!!!

Right the black bamboo is beginning to from a screen
Below the water lilies are still blooming in October!  


Pleasing Successes
~ the water lillies, which produced more flowers than I can recall for a long time
~ the black bamboo, growing splendidly despite its rather miserable appearance back in March
~ the agapanthus, all of which seemed to flower this year (again they were over wintered inside but this time were not repotted)

In short the gardener must be philosophical.