Christmas on the Hills

If you have noticed a lack of recent posts it is partly down to the seasonal weather but also personal reasons. Hopefully, matters will take a turn for the better, for both family and friends into the New Year. So whilst the human elements of the household may not have been able to enjoy the winter garden quite as much as usual, the wildlife and to a lesser extent the two cats have been outside.

Yesterday was Christmas Eve, so I took the opportunity to venture outside and forage some materials for the modest festive table decorations. There is a tradition dating back thousands of years for bringing inside some greenery to cheer up the darkest days of winter. Holly, ivy, mistletoe originally have all been used in pre-Christian times to help celebrate the Winter Solstice Festival and ward off evil spirits and to celebrate new growth.

I hope you all have a lovely and peaceful Christmas, and as the incomparable Dave Allen would always say "and may your God go with you." Scroll down to see the garden on Christmas Eve including some Brother Cadfael roses in bloom on the patio.

Gardeners World Forum

My original intention had been to have a six part series on "Why I enjoy gardening"(the last part will follow soon). However, my recent experience on the GW forum has prompted me to insert another reason. If I can explain. Yesterday I posted a question about a possible statement grass for the site at the top of our Pennine garden. Until yesterday I had joined forum discussions but never initiated one. Consequently, I was so chuffed when I received a good selection of really useful replies. It was not a total surprise that so many people are glad to help, but it does reinforce your faith in human nature.

It then prompted me to think about the social benefits that I have enjoyed because of our garden. There is a myriad of plants that have been donated by friends and neighbours. Projects that have been initiated and completed only because I have had extra hands and expertise to call upon. The ideas and inspiration derived form visiting others peoples plots is immeasurable. Hence, another good reason why I enjoy gardening, the sociability. Indeed I will follow this up with a series of blog entries on the contribution of others to the garden.

I have included below the series of recent pictures posted on GW forum with the question, what kind of statement grass can cope with the relative shade on the top border of the garden?
The slate/ gravel is the site and the others show its situation. Clearly the feature grass must be visible from the lawn (pampas grass has been unsuccessfully tried before)

 


If anyone has any ideas, please leave a comment. Thanks.

My Gardening Philosophy (reasons I enjoy gardening part 5)

I have been told on more than one occasion by those who know me the best that I have trouble sitting still. I acknowledge that I do have something of a restless nature, a character trait I share with Mili. The traditional explanation for having proverbial "ants in your pants" is that there is an underlying anxiety, impatience or excess energy. In psychology, somewhat manic behaviour is often ascribed to the need to distract yourself from uncomfortable thoughts. However, I am not sure any of these applies to me at this stage of my life, it is quite simply that I need to keep busy doing something (it also helps reduce the likelihood of falling asleep in the armchair once the sun has gone down).

Keeping active in the garden has so many benefits, as I have outlined in previous blog entries. However, I refute the notion completely that I garden for the sake of keeping active. It is more a matter of being incapable of not keeping myself busy, even if it is just gentle pottering and actually achieving not a great deal. As Confucius once said it does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop. But that is not to say that I have a subconscious fear of stopping (at least I think!) it is just an inherent character trait and an important reason why I enjoy doing a spot of gardening. It does, of course, as my mother would say, keep me out of mischief.

As the 19th century writer Oscar Wilde put it in his essay, The Critic as Artist: With Some Remarks on the Importance of Doing Nothing, ‘To do nothing at all is the most difficult thing in the world, the most difficult and the most intellectual.' Perhaps that's the fundamental reason why I just like to keep busy, I'm simply not intellectual enough?

Mili might be slowing down a little these days, but she is still far more restless than Hecate

Winter Is Approaching

The last vestiges of autumn are proving a mixed bag. Today I have retreated indoors to escape the grey skies and freezing downpours. The garden furniture has been put away or is now undercover. However, only two days ago there was still a lot to enjoy, while collecting the last of the leaves. It is precisely because the majority of the trees in the garden are now bare that the vistas have changed, there may be fewer daylight hours but the garden now feels that little bit more well lit with the reduced shade from the canopy.

Grasses benefit from extra sunlight

Not a hole but a reflection in the dark water

The top boundary of the garden appears entirely different without leaves on the branches but the clear reflections in the upper pond are a welcome distraction from the jobs. My plant of the month is the laurentia "avant garde" which is still doing its best to add a little colour into the borders. Maybe it is because this is my first year with the laurentia that I have been so impressed by its longevity and toughness. I will certainly be using this again in 2019.

Laurentia still going in mid November

Laurentia (foreground) in mid summer

Further Seasonal Interest.

 The seasonal interest in the Pennine garden just goes on. Today was meant to be another productive day sweeping up leaves again. But a certain two cats and some lovely autumnal colour rather diverted my attention. Both Hecate and Mili seem to enjoy the big outdoors when one or other of their humans is about and the picture below gives a clue just how demanding they can be for a knee to sit on when the mood takes them. Mili can be really quite vocal but eventually she settles for a seat on the upper bench.

 
 There was also another glorious autumnal sunset today. The view west from the top of the garden across the valley was not to be missed. Fortunately, by this stage the leaves had been swept, bagged and put away in a corner by the compost for future leaf mould. With the jobs completed we could all enjoy the tranquility of the moment.

Tips for Extending the Seasonal Interest

Extending the seasonal interest in the garden is a challenge for all keen gardeners but perhaps a little more so for those of us in more marginal growing regions. Our Pennine garden still has a nice selection of colourful corners and plants which offer curious little glories. The soft light of the autumnal day or the golden glow of the sunset can enhance the appearance of most gardens. However, I confess to enjoying the still days when fine mists cloak the hills and give an aura of calm and tranquility, heightening the sounds of the wildlife and the smell of distant bonfires lingering in the air.

The views across the valley from the upper levels of the garden are transformed by the gentle mists. It is therefore important to have good reason to go up the garden and make time to enjoy them. While there are still plenty of autumn gardening jobs to be getting along with, there is always time for some relaxing contemplations, preferably with the company of a furball or two.

There are, I have found, a few quite simple tips for extending the seasonal interest:

Top Tip: know your plants, for instance the grasses on the upper levels have lost the colourful flecks provided by the daisies and poppies, but many of the stems hold their form and their subdued "oaty" hues are subtly attractive. Even without flashy red berries or orange and vivid yellow foliage that provide most of the autumnal colour in the landscape, I think the grasses are one of our seasonal highlights.

The grasses may not be at their resplendent best but still hold plenty of interest and a nice focal point. As you can see the cherry trees along the top boundary are still in the process of shedding their leaves, thus giving a slightly unkempt appearance but the need to rake them out of the grass beds has multiple benefits
~ it helps to tidy the bed
~ the leaves can be collected for making leaf mould
~ collection involves combing the grasses with the tined rake, which itself is good for the grasses, teasing out dead and dying matter and reducing the risk of the grass clumps rotting during the inevitable damp spells ahead.

The black grasses at the front ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens' help define the beds and being evergreen (or everblack!) this is even the case through the darkest winter months.



Top Tip: incorporate some plants that have seasonal interest because of their unusual or colourful bark. The dogwood at the top of the grasses does exactly this job.

Top Tip: some plants will still flower late into the season, so position these wisely to ensure maximum benefit. A good example from our garden is the "Brother Cadfael rose" which lives quite happily in a pot on the patio. It is a lovely bushy shrub rose with a repeat flowering habit, early and very late season. Being located outside the kitchen window means that maximum benefit is gained from this lovely plant.

Top Tip: plant for foliage. The monochrome effect of the terrace is rapidly becoming a personal favourite  of mine at this time of the year. The leaves of the hebe and flax contrast so well with those of the still almost white chickweed. Hecate does her best to enhance the effect with her black and white colouring

      

Vigilance and Protection

 The garden is now beginning to look a little end of season. The weather is certainly fraying the edges. However, this does not deter the keen gardener or the two cats from venturing forth. Mili and Hecate have new challenges to tackle, there is a new cat on the block and the deer are being much braver venturing into the garden for the berries. There is little doubt that they feel more up for these potential confrontations when one or other of their humans is about for (moral?) support.

Vigilance is key

Facing up to the competition

Cosmos still in flower

 I have been busy putting in bulbs and readying pots for spring. The tender plants and some of the half hardys will now need to be brought inside, or housed in the cold frame. The conservatory will be fumigated this weekend, cleaned up thoroughly and readied for plants to be brought inside. A little thought and preparation now will pay big dividends for next spring.
Top tip: Do not delay too long before protecting your prize specimens. Remember they will be expensive to replace. For the cat kingdom and the gardener this is the season for vigilance and protection

Ayrshire and Culzean

 If you should ever decide to holiday in Scotland I cannot recommend highly enough the joy of visiting Ayrshire in the autumn. I have lost count of the number of times we have visited at this time of the year or at least a few weeks later when we were more restricted by school half terms. Without fail on each occasion we have spent a day visiting Culzean Castle and gardens.


This glorious 260 hectare estate was once the playground of David Kennedy, 10th Earl of Cassillis – a man who was keen to impress with his wealth and status. Opulent to the extreme, the park is planted with conifers and beech, sculpted around miles of sandy coastline dotted with caves, and finished off with a swan pond and formal gardens and fruit-filled glasshouses (currently under refurbishment).

 The castle is splendid and the Adam staircase simply quite spectacular. The views out to sea and across the gardens are stunning while the collections are detailed and fascinating. However, most gardeners are naturally drawn outside into the gardens. They, of course, benefit from the warming westerly winds that blow across the waters of the firth. These in turn have been warmed by the North Atlantic Drift, the sea current which originates in the tropical latitudes around the Caribbean (a pity we do not feel any such benefit on the Pennines).

The gardens are largely formal in style, designed to create vistas viewed from the house or terraces. Some of the tree species are now of an age where their majesty provides the perfect framework. I particularly enjoyed the very large walled gardens, which are divided into two spaces, one which will be devoted more to providing produce, the other for relaxation, cut flowers and specimen plant types. The mild Ayrshire climate combined with the warming micro climate of the sheltering walls provide the opportunity for growing a plethora of exotics. The huge vinery along the Western side of the walled gardens was once able to produce enough wine for the estate, for locals and for nearby hotels and inns!
Hopefully, this will be fully restored again on our next visit.

Red Hues of Autumn

 

The autumnal palette of colours is a seasonal treat not to be overlooked. Before our short break away (see next post) the garden was awash with red. Whilst this display was mostly berries, it was also leaves, such as those on the Virginia Creeper by the upper pond. The birds and other wildlife will certainly benefit but hopefully not before we have had a little time to savour the seasonal ambiance.

The rowan in our garden and in many of the neighbouring plots is perhaps the most eye catching of them all. The clusters of bright red berries make a colourful autumn splash. High in vitamin C the berries can (apparently) be made into a jelly which goes well with game meats, though on their own the berries do not taste pleasant. In the past it was not uncommon in Wales for an alcoholic liquor called "diodgriafel" to be brewed from the berries; the process, according to an 18th. century traveller to the region involving: '...pouring water over them (berries), and setting the infusion to ferment. When kept for some times, this is by no means an unpleasant liquor...'

However, I shall be leaving our berries for the birds!

Past the Equinox

 The equinox has now passed and we are truly well into autumn. This is a time of the year I always enjoy. The sun is noticeably lower in the sky and the light it casts even well into mid morning is more evocative. This week I have been able to see my breath when out early in the garden and sadly the first frosts will not be too far behind. At this stage it is all hands to the deck protecting the half hardy and even more tender plants.

However, there are still jobs to be done. Hedges at the back are all trimmed, borders need tidying (deadheading is still important) and now the lawn will require some serious attention. Sadly, this is not a job I can get overly enthused about as my success rate with the lawn is pretty dismal! But I will continue to give it my best and for the time being resist the temptation to grub up even more grass for a new border or bed.

It is also rather nice that long, ice cold beverages are now giving way to the warming mugs of coffee. Gardening is a relaxing pastime but you must remember to make time for the occasional rest break. Top Tip: build time into the "to do job list for the day" to just sit down and chill, but wait, if you can, for that 15 minute hiatus when the sun comes out. The coffee will taste that much better with a bit of warmth on your back!

My Gardening Philosophy (or reasons why I do not like gardening all the time, part 1)

Horrid little aphids have taken a shine to my achillea. Fortunately they do not seem to be causing too much harm but I must be very cautious because the long term damage is yet to be seen. Of course, I have treated the plants (along with the rest of the garden specimens) with neem oil/ soap drench. The aphid colonies are certainly diminished in size (my best guess is by about 80%) but a second treatment in about 7 days time is certainly called for. Environmental factors can be so frustrating!

Hedge Trimming

Today the autumnal weather has been a little kinder and the shears have been out to trim back the berberis and the laurel which frame the upper seating area. This is a good time for hedge work as the birds have nested and the growth is now slowing.

As you can see the rowan is in berry and the plants in the dazzle beds to the left of the photo are still doing their best. This year was my first time for cosmos, they came as a free packet of seeds with an edition of the Gardeners World magazine. I had not really appreciated what a marvellous little plant they are; colourful, easy to grow, not too fussy about situation and very long lasting. I will definitely find a place for these little beauties in years to come. If you know a plant that is more versatile and might do equally well in a Pennine garden then please let me know.

Top tip: give cosmos a go!

This time of the year when blooms are in ever shorter supply the value of foliage become that much more apparent. The monochrome beds by the terrace are still holding their own. The mouse eared chick weed does a very good job of adding the lighter/ whiter leaf colour, and the flax, hebe and ophiopogon 'Nigrescens' give the contrast. Of course, a little sunshine does help, make the most of it while we can.

My Gardening Philosophy (reasons I enjoy gardening part 4)

Grey squirrels are seen regularly 

You might think, given the previous post, that I would consider wildlife to be more of a problem than a benefit. But this could not be further from the truth, it is the joy of being outside close to nature and all the wildlife that makes gardening such a pleasure. The geography of your garden, the habitats you provide and the wildlife havens close by your plot can bring into your space a huge variety of creatures. Every rest break gives a little opportunity to be still and listen, then to look around and hopefully to glimpse something wild, natural and heart warming. "Our task must be to free ourselves. By widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty." Albert Einstein.

another visitor and predator

I am sure that some people might consider it paradoxical that you might want both cats and wildlife in the garden. It is an undeniable fact that cats will both deter and diminish the population of some species. Alarmist media reports are prone to exaggerate the levels of predation, often quoting flawed and inadequate studies, such as the Peter Churcher and John Lawton research. This is based on the prey brought home by 70 cats over the period of one year, the results of which where then erroneously extrapolated for the whole of the country. The fact that the sample was entirely rural village cats and only consisted of such a very small sample makes it seriously unrepresentative. However, the media prefer to perpetuate the myth of the natural born killer. The "prey" brought home would also include a significant proportion of scavenged creatures, many of which would certainly be the victims of plate glass windows, RTAs and other non feline causes.

It is not unfeasible that Hecate and Mili will bring back a present or two. But Hecate is far from agile and struggles to manage the steps up the garden let alone chase down a rapid moving small mammal. Mili does well for her age but she undeniably has vision which is less than 20:20 so would have a difficult time catching most creatures but the odd spider should beware.

Sparrow Hawk another predator on the front lawn

More Challenges

The break in the summer weather has presented Northern gardeners with some new and old challenges. The grass has started to grow again but bald patches and badger damage now need attention.

The upper most part of the garden has seen plants with new shoots munched by the deer and the borders excavated by other hungry wildlife.

Lobelia Cardinalis ravaged by deer

Excavations in the border

The rains and wind have taken their toll on some of the plants. Anything lacking in adequate protection or staking has been vulnerable. Each year I regret not staking just a little more robustly and some flowers will inevitably fall victim to the elements.

However, a top tip do not be in a hurry to discard the fallen. It is possible to rescue some of the flowers and use them like you would any cut flowers. the gladiolus below was brought inside last week, with the addition of a little fern and verbena bonarensis it makes a passable arrangement that lasted days and days.