One of the great things about living and gardening in the UK is the changing seasons. As each season approaches, I decide that it is most definitely my favourite. As we hurtle through autumn and get ready for winter, the leaves are turning quickly, and on quiet days, you can stand and listen to them tear away from the mighty hardwoods above and flutter gently earthwards.
All this means, of course, that we have a lot of leaves on the ground, and the mower is working overtime, picking them up and creating industrial amounts of compost that will be ready to use in a couple of years.
The big cutback is upon us, and we are taking cuttings to overwinter.
The greenhouse has been emptied, cleaned, and is now being restocked with plants that we are taking through the winter, with lots more to do. The succulents are now inside, and we are preparing for major changes where the polytunnel now sits – more on that in another blog…
The interior of the big garden still holds a large wild patch, and we have started the next phase of clearing and replanting, culling 27 unhealthy saplings. However, we found one confused-looking oak tree, which we decided to keep. Light now pours into the area, and the next job is to pull out the stumps to make a stumpery (beyond Simon and me, a 6-ton digger is needed). After that, we can level, plant, and create a hedge with new and wonderful plants, shrubs, and trees.
It is always with regret that the garden furniture is put away for the winter, and the treehouse is treated with Boracol to prevent it from turning green. Soon, we will clean everything and apply a fresh coat of paint where needed, ready for the new season and a whole new cycle of spring and summer.
As with last autumn, we have webbed hands and feet as so much rain has fallen. The top of the big garden is a floodplain—more flood than plain at the moment—but it keeps things green and lovely in the summer. However, it also makes winter projects hard work. Meanwhile, Ghillie, now an elder statesman, slumbers through my outdoor endeavours in the comfort of the garden shed.
Our bees are in fine fettle and are now settling in for winter, with the supers full of honey. We’re looking forward to next spring and the excitement of harvesting our own Ferns Lodge honey.
I think that autumn at NGS Garden Ferns Lodge is definitely one of my favourite times of year.
Contact sue.grant@fernslodge.co.uk.
