The Upper Bench

The bench covers have come out this week and the furniture on the patio now has its winter protection. However, the bench at the top of the garden will remain uncovered until the start of December. We will be very unlucky if there is any snow before winter proper, but who can really predict in these changing times. 

The upper bench is a favourite spot for everyone who visits the garden, the views and the proximity of the upper pond are major attractions. It also offers a tempting resting place when a break from forking, digging, weeding or trimming is needed. But it also seems to attract feline attentions and competition for a seat can be fierce. I have to remind Hecate and Mili that there are two seats on the bench and we can all share. But they like a rest too, patrolling, scent marking and chasing flying insects must take it out of them!

     

Mili has claimed her spot

 Hecate closes in, she seems intent on a seat....

......but we all share in the end

 

Last Hurrah

The garden is still looking surprisingly good, given that we are now deep into the autumn. The yellow, oranges and reds are still emerging and, at the same time, there are still some remnants of the summer. The patio tubs and wall baskets are still hanging on. I would certainly recommend cosmos and dahlias for extending the season. It is the traditional time for bringing in the tender plants, in particular I will have to find room for about a dozen agapanthus. The conservatory has been cleaned out to make space for the less hardy plants, but given the nice weather, I am reluctant to do anything prematurely, which might detract from the appearance of the beds.

 

Of course there are the autumnal gems emerging for their turn in the spotlight and the cyclamen hederifolium are looking particularly nice with the back drop of the heuchera, green spice.

Even the patio still has some interest and I was surprised to see how well it looks after dark. The light shade of render helps to bounce the light around and illuminate the tubs that still have quite a bit to offer.

Evening temperatures (and daytime) have been unusually mild, so my top tip is never be surprised and expect the unexpected, to paraphrase Oscar Wilde.

Wildlife Update

In the previous post I noted how both Hecate and Mili are using the garden noticeably less often. It is something I put down to age, rather than the weather, given how nice the summer and early autumn have been. The same cannot be said of the local deer population who are regular visitors both night and day. While they are obviously a little shy and, sensibly, somewhat wary of human contact I have been able to monitor their visits on the wildlife camera.

While the deer are visiting with increased frequency, I am sorry to say there has been no badger activity for some time. The lawn has benefitted from the lack of excavation but it is a pity that these large native mammals have abandoned the sett under the shed. I am quietly confident that it will be reoccupied again, hopefully in the non too distant future, but we will have to wait and see. It is not uncommon for smaller setts, with just one entrance, to be used on an irregular basis. The larger setts with multiple access points are more likely to be permanent homes often for many generations of badgers.

Am I just security for Hecate and Mili?

Hecate and Mili have not featured a great deal in recent posts. This might be partially because they visit the outdoors noticeably less, as they are becoming a bit more cautious with age. However, when it suits they still enjoy the garden. Hecate will always seek out a comfortable spot, while Mili prefers to be somewhat more vigilant. In fact, I am sure if Mili could help with the weeding then she surely would do, as she is a constant shadow when I am working at ground level.

Of course having the two cats around is a symbiotic relationship. They provide me with a valid excuse to sit down and take a break. In return my presence makes them feel more secure and able to enjoy the outdoors without anxiety.

 

Summer is Orange.

  

The orange and purple/ yellow and blue flower bed has reached its peak season. Sadly the deer have helped themselves to some of the flowers, most notably the alstroemeria. However, the effect is still really quite pleasing. The impact of the dry summer is also evident, although here on the Pennines we have been fortunate, in that there has been a few spells of rainfall.

The colours also set me to thinking how much blue and purple are present across other areas of the garden and while the orange is provided by the resident insect life. The sea holly and the buddleia are awash with bees and butterflies. 

Of course yellows and golds are also common in late summer, including on some evenings the sky at dusk

 

Made up of red and yellow, orange is a stimulating, vibrant and flamboyant colour. It reflects joy and happiness, creativity and success, freedom and expression and passion and optimism. From the energy-filled happiness in summer, to the warmth, cosiness and contentment of autumn, orange is a transitional colour that spans seasons and can be reflected in the garden all year round.

 

Feeding Time

Nature is a forever enthralling spectacle. It can be red in tooth and claw but, simultaneously, intriguing and beguiling in equal measure. I have grumbled on occasions about the deer eating the roses, the slugs destroying the dahlias and the badgers decimating the lawn in the search for worms. But throughout, I have advocated the notion that we share our garden with the wildlife.  A sanguine outlook is what I might espouse but the price might be a bit more chicken wire than I would really like.

This week I noticed a fascinating juxtaposition of the wildlife eating the plants and the plants eating the wildlife. Below is the sarracenia that lives in the conservatory. Sometimes known as the pitcher plant, it happily lives in a disused wall fountain ornament. This is ideal as it still holds water to give the plant the boggy conditions it requires. But on closer inspection it was clear that this carnivorous plant was in the midst of feeding time.

By contrast the blackbird decided that a tasty, ripe strawberry was much more to his liking. I will not grumble as we have already had a much better harvest this year than ever before. 

So, to use a phrase first coined by Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe "lets share and share alike!"

 

A New Patio

The garden has seen a major change over the past 2 months, namely, the patio has been pulled apart and rebuilt. The time had come to finally do away with the old pressed concrete that was poured over 30 years ago. It has served us well but we both had a desire to get rid of the tired looking patio. The new design was not a difficult choice, it had to fit with the style of the rest of the garden, so a rustic "naturalistic" feel was essential. It was also a critical choice as this is the part of the garden, being immediately outside the back door, that is the most well used.

The choice of local Yorkstone paving was made to match the sun terrace and other drystone walling elsewhere in the garden. The source was the exact, same local quarry, so a beautiful coloured stone was guaranteed. It was never really an option to go for Indian sandstone or something else with a lot of transportation involved, the ethos of minimizing our carbon footprint has become more important to us both. The use of clinically precise porcelain tiles might have been the fashionable and contemporary choice but this would have been the anti thesis of the ambiance we have tried to encourage. The riven finish was also selected to complete the look.

Sadly, the living wall has had to be cut back. However, the builders have done an excellent job in minimizing the damage. It helped that one of the team was a keen gardener himself. All the plants have been saved and the vegetation is set to grow back again, hopefully for a complete rejuvenation.

  

The old wall has been dismantled and it is easy to see how much of the garden is simply solid rock, with a very shallow layer of soil.

Solid concrete blocks are laid for integral strength in the new retaining wall.

Newly quarried, riven faced Yorkstone paving is laid with precision.

The builders have finished and now the start of my contribution, the first pass of the rendering.

Rendering finished, perhaps not perfect, but with luck the living wall will grow back and cover the majority of the retaining wall in 18 months time (and disguise my best efforts). At least, that is the plan, as the Mediterranean feel of the freshly rendered wall is not really in keeping with the vibe of the rest the garden. But the rendered finished had the critical advantage of preserving as much of the newly created extra space as is possible. Updates will follow.

Meanwhile it is now time to get back to the rest of the garden, which has had to take a back seat for weeks now. Blogging can also be resumed again!

A Canopy of Blossom

We are very lucky having enough room in the garden for a small selectin of trees. At this time of the year their beauty is pronounced by the lovely blossoms, none better than on the cherry trees which mark the top boundary.

The canopy of the leaves makes for a very different feeling to the top level of the garden and the varying levels of shade present a whole variety of alternative planting opportunities. The border beneath the cherries is currently home to a hedge of predominantly, hawthorn and, beneath this a selection of low ground cover. The latter will be reviewed this year as it becomes invisible behind the beds of grasses in front of them, which is a pity. Consequently, I have already put two clumps of Solomon's Seal (lifted and divided from elsewhere in the garden). This is a taller plant and hopefully its white flowers will stand out in the shade during the early part of the summer.

The Rowen tree presents a similar planting challenge but because the beds beneath it are south facing they do  receive that bit more sunlight. Also being beside the upper bench, lower, ground cover plants are much more readily visible. 

In fact this section of the garden has proven attractive to plenty of self seeders, the forget me nots and honesty being very welcome. Providing that such plants do not become overly dominant they are a perfect example of "right plant right place", as they have chosen the site for themselves.

Top tip: if rogue plants and flowers find their way into your planting scheme do not be too hasty to discard them, many are very attractive and, of course, a bonus for the frugal gardener. You can also consider digging them out and moving them to another spot in the garden.

   

 

Of course, the dappled shade also attracts other life forms into this part of the garden, particularly when the bench seat cushions have been put out for the season. Mili knows how to make herself comfortable!

 

Spring Time Again

 A little bit of spring sunshine brings out the best of the garden, and brings the beast into the garden. 

It is so rewarding to see the bulbs emerge and enjoy them with a little warmth on your back. The colours seem so vivid following the muted tones of the winter garden. Clearly I am not alone in these thoughts as Hecate and Mili have also been venturing out once again. For months they have been self confined to the hygge of the cosy indoors. The pleasure is multiplied by the presence of others, be it a pair of increasingly elderly cats or be it an increasingly wise missus. A shared plate of fruit at the top tier of the garden was a March treat with little compare. Hopefully the first of many this year.

Spring also awakens the rest of the animal kingdom and the birds, bees and amphibians have all been evident and active. There is comforting reassurance that blossoms and blooms are on their way. 

   

Silver Birch for 2022

Tree planting season lasts until early March, at least in the Pennines. This year I have gone for three bare rooted native silver birch. I have followed a tip given by Helen from Crocus, in order to try and create a multi stemmed effect. They are in the area that used to be occupied by the blackberries, but a combination of birds, deer and shade has meant that they have produced very few harvestable fruits in the past 5 years.

        

The saplings have since been given the protection of a fence, yet more chicken wire in the garden, but hopefully it will be worth it in the medium term. The cherry trees at the back are not likely to survive many more years so a new focal point will be needed and silver birch have always been a favourite of mine. However, I will have to wait at least six years until the beautiful silver white bark begins to show noticeably.

The Queen's Green Canopy is an initiative created to mark Her Majesty's Platinum Jubilee in 2022. Everyone across the UK is being invited to plant trees from October 2021, when the tree planting season begins, through to the end of the Jubilee year in 2022. Let us hope it is a major success!

Mid Winter Fire

 There can be little doubt that mid January can be somewhat lacking in pizzazz. The little flashes of colour have to be appreciated where ever they can be found. The dogwood shrub is invaluable for its coloured bark which shines through with the absence of foliage. We have a few dogwoods at the top of the garden behind the grasses and a lovely, small specimen in a pot on the steps leading up to the front door (pictured below). 

Top Tip: In order to get the best from your dogwoods pruning each year is to be recommended, as the best coloured stems are those of the newest growth. 

 

The specimen at the front is "Sibirica" and the dogwoods at the back are "Midwinter Fire". However, the "real" midwinter fire was seen two days ago with this spectacular sunset.

Not to be out done, Hecate posing in front of the Jasmine, another little flash of md winter colour.