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!