PLANTS IN FLOWER: Marigolds, Roses, Nepeta, Herbaceous Geranium, Pinks, Grasses, Honeysuckle, Borage, Tagetes, Sweet peas, Cosmos.
The last couple of weeks of October have been devoted to getting ready for the cold winter months. I am determined not to lose so many tender plants again this year, so I have moved a lot of the plants in pots from the terrace to the cold greenhouse/potting shed for over-wintering. This includes all my geraniums, rosemary, verbena seedlings, small turkey fig and several other semi-tender shrubs. I have also covered the artichoke plants with fleece, covered over the fresh inner heart-leaves of my rampant 'gunnera' specimen with dried bracken and moved my large evergreen magnolia next to the west wall of the farmhouse in the hope that it will get sufficient protection from the biting winds that sweep across the valley in the winter.
The vegetable garden still looks very colourful with the green sweet-pea wigwams covered in flowers, masses of marigolds and lots of multi-hued cosmos in bloom. The early purple broccoli seeds which I threw down late in summer have now almost reached maturity, while there are still several rows of main crop potatoes still to be lifted as well the last of the celariac and parsnips. My leeks went in late so they are still putting on growth. I have managed to clear many of the beds now ready for next year - the spent outdoor tomato plants, basil, french beans, runner beans and pea plants have all gone on the compost heap already. I am hoping my daughter will finish the job of clearing the potager when she visits with her family in a few weeks time. This is her favourite part of the garden and she spent many days having tea and picnics here in summer with her partner and daughter!
This month I also finished planted up the new orchard with a variety of apple trees, pear & plum varieties, including a walnut and a peach tree against the warm west wall of the potting shed ... but I have to see if it survives the winter. I seem to have a strange determination to test the limitations of the Welsh climate at Green Valley and I would still like a cherry tree and maybe even a mulberry somewhere on the land. I realize this growing food business is really rather addictive, as I have planned (the prepared the ground) for where I want to plant some currant bushes such as blackcurrant, gooseberry and blueberry bushes as soon as the weather gets warmer.
I also finally managed to tackle the front garden by the pond and the border which had become quite wild and rampant over the summer this month. I divided some of the herbaceous geraniums, re-arranged some of the evergreen structural shrubs to create a better balance in the overall design and generally slashed everything back. However, I cannot say that this part of the garden looks by any means immaculate at present as it still needs to be thoroughly weeded and mulched. I will have to see what is possible next month ...