My mock orange gets a haircut!
I’m busy thinking of what jobs need doing before the wet, wintry weather arrives. The garden is still full of colour but a general tidy, weed and cutting back is necessary. Pruning the mock orange, which didn’t flower much this year, is the first job. It had begun to invade the tall conifer which stands regally beside it.
The bird tables my partner Eric made for me need painting. I’ve been given the task. The colour sage, which blends in with the colours in the garden, is my paint choice. It has kept me quiet for a couple of days but it was worth it to know they’ll withstand the winter weather.
I hope the birds appreciate them! The bird baths want a scrub out and refilling with fresh water. We love to watch the birds in the garden so it’s essential to keep them happy. The crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ has finished flowering in the rockery. I’ve had to cut it back to the ground as it’s grown so tall and is falling on the smaller plants. The rudbeckia, with their sunny, yellow flowers, brighten this patch and I’m pleased to see the new plants in the rockery are still adding colour and interest. Finally, the last job this week is to shape the variegated holly. We planted it 18 years ago and it takes pride of place at the back corner of the rockery. The species is called ‘Myrtifolia Aurea Maculata’, which is a male variety with small leaves that are slashed with yellow. Fortunately, it’s a slowgrowing shrub which only needs attention at this time of year. It’s a job I love when I've finished but I hate all the prickles! Sweeping up the pile of holly leaves and bagging them up for recycling is next and as I glance at the re-shaped holly all the effort is worth it. I’m happy that the garden has had its autumn tidy and now I can relax with a refreshing cup of tea.