Award winning Garden designer Stella Caws shares her
secrets for getting the best from nature’s autumn bounty.
hard to beat the apple, which growsutumn is harvest time and the
extremely well in this part of the world.fulfilment of summers promise.
There are apples to fit any space even aBranches drip with fruits and
pot on a balcony. This is achieved byAberries which fill the garden with
growing the plants on different rootstocka cornucopia of good things to eat. If you
so just tell your nurseryman how muchhave been growing your own now is the
space you have. Apples also need to betime to store your produce for the cold
cross pollinated so unless there are otherwinter months. Many fruits and vegetables
apples around or you have space forcan be frozen or turned into jams and
several, choose a self fertile variety likechutneys. My family’s favourite is home
‘Red Falstaff’ or a family tree which hasmade raspberry jam with scones fresh
three varieties grafted onto one plant.from the oven. There is also a hedgerow
The autumn harvest is enjoyed byharvest to be collected from the
wildlife as well, and fruit and berries willcountryside if you have the time.
attract many beautiful birds into yourBlackberries grow prolifically on waste
garden. I leave the apple windfalls for theground and along country lanes but avoid
blackbirds and also grow plants withpicking near busy roads. Apple and
brightly coloured berries and hips. Rosablackberry pie brings back memories of my
rugosa is a real gem, it’s a shrub rose withgrandmother’s autumn tea time. Both
single magenta pink flowers followed byblackberries and apples can be stored in a
huge red hips which the bird love. Thefreezer for using later so that you can
delicately perfumed flowers appear fromenjoy this British classic all winter.
June right through till late autumn, oftenAutumn is also the best time to plant
with hips and flowers on the plants at thenew fruit trees and bushes to produce a
same time, and as a finale, the leaves turncrop next year. If you like raspberries I
butter yellow before they fall.recommend the variety called ‘Autumn
So as summer turns to the gloriousBliss’ which, as its name suggests, crops in Stella Caws BSc MA MLI MSGD is a Royal
shades of autumn, gather in the harvestthe late summer and through to the first Horticultural Society Gold Medal winner
and enjoy natures bounty and the fruits offrost. They will grow in any good soil and and garden designer based in Chepstow.
your labours, in this wonderful season ofcan tolerate some shade. For versatility it is Tel 01291 629325
www.stellacaws.com
“mists and mellow fruitfulness”.
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