Readers’ gardens
A small garden in Merseyside packed with a variety of different features.
The dwarf, seed-raised acer, now around 20 years old, always seems keen to be first with a little autumn colour, but it was too keen to dismiss summer before I was quite ready this year!
Begonia ‘Destiny’ mixed, grown on from plugs, have lived up to their reputation, despite the up and down weather. I’ll try a few plants potted individually next year and they should make quite a show.
Late-season border plants were in full pomp, with the classic red-white combination of phlox and dahlias catching the eye. The annual cosmos, now in flower, seem to have gone into overdrive as the days have shortened.
One curious sight is that of a standard abutilon, transplanted from a sheltered spot in the front garden and now next to the apple tree in the back. At first glance, the ‘head’ appears to be floating five feet from the ground with no visible means of support because the stem is hidden by shrubs in the background.
‘Discovery’ apples have been harvested and eaten. The remaining ‘James Grieve’ apples will be ready soon. The dwarf peach is carrying a few fruits, and I’ll leave them as long as possible before picking, but the ‘stars of the show’ fruit-wise have been our three ‘Brown Turkey’ figs that have been cropping for weeks. Long may they continue!
In the greenhouse, late-sown tomatoes are ready to pick and the mini cucumbers have cropped well. I brought primula Gold-laced Group and cyclamen back into the greenhouse and put them in a mix of shop-bought and home-made compost.
I didn’t get round to threatening the damson into producing a good crop, and on inspection, it looks like it has reverted to its old ways. What I did see, however, was the flowers on the goji berry that now sprawls through it. I’ve mentioned to the damson that there’s a readymade replacement for it if it continues to be shy of fruiting!