TURNED OUT NICE AGAIN

From this point in the garden year, we can take stock of the growing season. Despite a very late start, and a lot of woeful predictions for the year, it did work out in the end. Or to coin an old phrase, Turned Out Nice Again.

The late spring saw plants that don’t usually blossom together coming out in one explosion of exuberant growth. Despite dire warnings, apples and other fruits did well. A great year for apples in fact, and for berries too. For anything fruiting, be it courgettes or plums. Roses did very well, most blossoming shrubs and trees in fact.

Fuchsia Mrs POPPLE

This was a summer of heatwaves in July, and the best summer for 7 years. That last hot summer saw me in a rather different set of circumstances. For me 2006 was about establishing a small country garden in the village of Stoke Goldington, North Buckinghamshire. I do recall being glad of the coolness of the lawn, as the sun blazed on my new plantings. The slate chippings path was holding onto the day-time heat.

In 2013, I have been busily watering in London gardens, but in fact I had no casualties from drought or heat.

So what has been unusual? It started late, but things did catch up. Early spring bulbs lasted longer than usual owing to the persistent cold early on – crocuses and snow-drops particularly.

Yet again, autumn is both late and lasting a while. Leaf-colour is and has been very good. Displays of late perennials have been great, hardy fuchsias, asters and other late daisies, like perennial sunflowers, heleniums and the like persist.

Helianthus Lemon Queen

It’s been the warmest October for some time, and we are having the best crop of acorns, hips, berries and the like for a decade.

Until the storminess of 28th October, dahlias were doing very well indeed, but that has seen off the flower on them in one exposed garden I work in, so I’m about to lift those in the next week or so. In fact some have already been lifted.

Dahlia TWYNINGS AFTER EIGHT

Having put dahlias, pelargoniums and tender succulents into either storage, or under protected cover, time to think about next year. Bare-root shrubs and roses, seeds to order, notes about what I’ll move or remove.

That’s the thing about gardening. Looking ahead to next year. I’m well ahead with ideas already.