The last few weeks have been so busy catching up with other people’s gardens that I’ve let my own run riot. I’m training myself to not to mind about this, instead focussing on the lovely things that are still there to enjoy, especially in this glorious spell of weather we’re having. I always appreciate the late summer interest that my Rudbeckias and Japanese anemones provide, the nasturtiums are still going strong, despite, and despite being a bit late with sunflower-sowing (the slugs ate the first batch), I have even finally had some success there.
Japanese anemone (Anemone x hybrida ‘Honorine Jobert’
My salad finally bolted, so yesterday I tidied the remains in to the compost bin. Since the seed packet said I could sow in to September, I’ve sown some spinach leaves in their place. The spinach cultivar is ‘Violin’, which appealed to me, as a violinist myself. I also sowed some more rocket and parsley, and will move the containers into my new greenhouse, when the overnight temperatures fall below ten degrees.
There are, however, a couple of things that need my attention sooner rather than later. Both the Wisteria and deciduous climbing jasmine look like one of those ‘lockdown haircut’ social media posts, and should be pruned in late summer, after flowering. The jasmine didn’t flower especially spectacularly so after I have tidied, thinned out and shortened the stems, I will give it a mulch at the base with some home-made compost. Next spring, I shall get in to the habit of feeding it regularly with tomato feed, to see if that perks it up.
The Wisteria hasn’t flowered since we moved in, five years ago. This may be because it’s too young, or more likely because I have completely neglected to ever prune it (or it may be due to a graft failure, in which case, I’ll give it a couple more years and if it still hasn’t flowered by then, it’s coming out). This weekend, I will be cutting the stems back to five buds in length. I will shorten these stems again in February, to encourage flowering. Strong stems can be tied in to the supporting trellis, in a horizontal direction.
If you're short on time, you can give the garden a quick and effective facelift just by tidying up and cutting back straggly and browning foliage of herbaceous perennials, and removing dead flower heads. Consider leaving behind the flower and seed heads of some plants, such as echinacea and phlomis, to provide some winter interest and a source of food for birds.
Finally, don’t forget to lift any remaining maincrop potatoes and onions, and store them in a dark, cool and dry place, before the cold, damp days set in. Apples and pears are ripe enough to pick if they easily come away from the tree when you twist the fruit. And if anyone has any innovative suggestions for using up the courgette glut, please let me know.
Nasturtium - Tropaeolum majus