The arrival of autumn brings a fabulous array of new colours to the Lewis Cottage garden, near Spreyton. Here Richard Orton describes his favourite autumnal plants (some of which you can buy from the Lewis Cottage nursery) and gives us a helpful list of jobs to be getting on with this month.
As summer turns to autumn, gone are bright pinks, pale mauves, blues and sunny yellows, replaced by tones of red, maroon and gold.
In late September specimen oaks are beginning to turn. Quercus rubra turns a brilliant carmine red whilst Quercus schumardii turns a magnificent burgundy. Later, Quercus egglestonii will turn a gorgeous copper.
*Viburnumtinus Le bois marquis and *V.plicatum mariesii have begun to turn to a dark, brooding, chocolatey maroon hue, contrasting well with the red fluorescence of Euonymous alata compactus and Virginia creeper. A shame that all of these leaves will fall over the coming weeks.
*These plants can be purchased online from the Lewis Cottage nursery here
In and out of the greenhouse we have had a wonderful display from Clerodendrum bungeii. We fell in love with it on a visit to the garden at Marwood Hill. We were looking for unusual plants that would cope with growing in our heavy clay. It has taken a while to establish but it has begun to pop up in all sorts of places. The wonderfully pink flowers in late summer/autumn turn to bright red seeds which are very attractive to birds. Seeds dropped in the greenhouse, despite culling the suckers last year, have produced a fabulous display.
Our display of tiny cyclamen has never been better. Originally a single plant, the display has increased in size and has now developed quite naturally to include patches in the drive and across the top of a grassy bank where they nestle under the shelter of the large ferns there. With the first blush of pink or white flowers it’s time to remove the fern leaves and expose the ballerina like flowers while they are at their best.
Gardening tips for the month ahead
- Clean and disinfect an empty greenhouse. Let in more light to prevent pests and diseases from overwintering.
- Lift and divide any overcrowded perennials whilst the soil is still warm.
- Take hardwood cuttings from deciduous shrubs such as cornus, deutzia, physocarpus etc.
- Once flowering has finished, prune back rambling and climbing roses and tie in stems before autumn winds break them.
- Either cut back perennial plants that have died down or leave the dead foliage in place as a shelter for wildlife.
- Plant hedges, move trees and shrubs.
- Harvest pumpkins and squash before the first frosts or you’ll have mushy plants for Halloween.
- Cut back the yellowing top growth of asparagus to around 5cm
- Plant fruit trees and hardy perennials.
- Reuse spent compost from containers and hanging baskets as a mulch on borders.
- Use any dry weather to paint sheds and fences before winter arrives.
- Give evergreen hedges one final trim.
- Pods of both runner and borlotti beans should be dried to save a few pence next year.
- Raise pots off the ground using old bricks or terracotta “feet” to help avoid waterlogging.
- Start a photo diary of your garden. Take images of herbaceous plants before they die back and keep photos from magazines of borders and plants that you’d like to replicate next year.
- Clean bird baths and feeders before filling them for winter, to avoid pests and bacteria infecting bird life.
More information on the garden at Lewis Cottage is here.
