My gardening diary
MONDAY Beside the little steps that run up to the top terrace beside the raised bed is a gigantic chamaecyparis planted almost 40 years ago. Its branches rise vertically almost from the ground but the lower shoots on each of these have dead leaves at their bases, making them look old and tired. It’s time for a complete overhaul, clearing out all the debris to give the tree a new lease of life.
TUESDAY When to start ‘the big cut back’ is the most asked question at the moment. There’s always this contradiction between tidying up and leaving as many stems, leaves and seed heads as possible for birds, insects and little mammals. Most of the time we’re clearing where we need to plant bulbs just so we can see what we’re doing!
WEDNESDAY Dahlia ‘David Howard’ is still producing masses of its double orange flowers. It has to be one of the most reliable varieties around, and the combination of dark foliage with the orange is a real winner. It was named after its creator and is a worthy choice for such a lovely man and brilliant nurseryman, who recently had his 80th birthday. THURSDAY Moving rhubarb. Our two old chunks of rhubarb have been sitting at the side of a huge veg trough for most of the summer. We toyed with the idea of growing named pink varieties but having spoken to Helena who’s in charge of the walled kitchen garden at Gravetye Manor and swears by their straightforward variety – better crop, better taste – I think we’ll just replant the strong new pieces from our own with plenty of old muck.
FRIDAY It’s the perfect time to take more hardwood cuttings from Viburnum opulus and one of our blackcurrants, just as their leaves are falling. Although the wood needs to be hard, this year’s growth makes the best cuttings. I’ve made a slit trench at the end of one of the raised beds where they’ll be undisturbed for the year they’ll need to root.
SATURDAY Station sowing calendula seed, one to a module compartment. We’re using ‘African Queen’, a single variety with a maroon centre and crimson reverse to its petals. Although these English or pot marigolds are totally hardy, the ground is wet and cold and germination and survival would be poor in the open ground, whereas this way guarantees bigger, stronger plants to put out in the spring.
SUNDAY Having forgotten to divide up some of the newer snowdrops we acquired a couple of years ago, we’re hoping it’s not too late to do it now. Finding them is the first job when beds and borders are smothered in fallen leaves and assorted debris. Once located, they’re dug up and separated, then replanted, singly, a few inches apart and nice and deep, having added quantities of leaf mould.