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with their own bath time aromatherapy! The Crocosmia ‘Emily Mckenzie’ was a real hit this year – outstanding in bright orange - stunning colour and lasting well into last month.
My harvest of runner beans has been reliable and readily available, they really are one of the highest yielding and easiest of crops to grow, meanwhile rhubarb has been resplendent and I’m still digging potatoes! I have grown much from seed this year, including beans both runner and dwarf, peas and tomatoes as well as sweet peas which have surpassed any previous years’ crops. Now we get ready to harvest those pumpkins and other gourds ready for a horticultural Halloween.
Summer perennials of course have now faded into autumn, with the spent flower heads of alliums and Verbena bonariensis offering superb architectural value in the garden, while the flowers of some salvias and dahlias hold on for as long as they can. Dahlia ‘Café au Lait’ is a new addition to my borders and this impressive milky coffee bloomer, much admired by florists, is a definite winner and still in flower as I write, before being lifted for winter protection shortly.
This time of year is when the Ginkgo tree bedazzles you with its golden yellow leaves before shedding them with sophistication. I’m happy to report that mine is obliging with the usual
enthusiasm, unaffected by lockdown and happy to be heading towards the land of November nod. Elsewhere successful evergreens are coming into their own from recently planted golden yews to the hardy tropical Trachycarpus fortunei and Cordyline australis. Grasses too stand strong with the black Ophiopogon displaying monochrome magnificence. I have been busy planting spring flowering bulbs – now available in garden centres, nurseries and even DIY stores and supermarkets. Narcissus ‘Camilla Clara Kate’ is a self-indulgent choice as it was named after me, therefore a must for my garden where it has been flowering for many years. Mr Badger seems to be in favour, digging around dangerously near to them in a bid, no-doubt, to get his paws on them! New to me this year are tulips ‘Paul Scherer’, ‘Alibi’ and ‘Virichic’. I also planted some October/November flowering Saffron Crocus in a terracotta bowl back at the beginning of September and I can’t wait for these to bloom shortly with their valuable golden strands of Saffron.
So much to be thankful for and so much to look forward to. I’m pleased to report that having spoken to many of my flower show nursery friends, a good many of them have seen strong sales this year – but in these testing times our support for our plant pals is more important than ever. So get planting and planning – a gardener’s work is never done!
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THROUGH THE GARDEN GATE CAMI L LA BAS S E T T - SMI TH
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