LEAVES, LEAVES EVERYWHERE ...

 Another quiet week has rolled quietly by.  It is dark soon after 4, and there is less time to spend in the garden.  There's also less that needs to be done, with the exception of one major job.

1. The Big Annual Leaf Tidy

All trees drop leaves which need to be raked up and put on the leaf pile to rot down into useful leaf mould.  But there is one tree in the garden which seems to have as many leaves as the rest of them put together (I know I'm exaggerating). It's the oak tree.  



I cleared this path last weekend and it's covered again and looking up at the tree there are still plenty of leaves to come.  




2. Hawthorn Berries

Between us and the field next door is a Hawthorn hedge.  In the corner, part of it must have escaped the hedge cutters many years ago and has grown into a tree which is covered in rich red berries.


3. Dahila Zundert Mystery Fox

Accompanying the Autumn berries are the last of the late Summer flowers.  This pompom Dahlia is called Zundert Mystery Fox.  Who could resist a name like that?  Not me.  The colour is richer and more of a burnt orange (fox colour)  than this photograph would indicate.  
 

4. No more Roses?

Every two weeks throughout the Summer I spend a couple of hours spraying the roses with foliar feed.  Whilst undertaking this rather tedious task, I promise myself that I will not buy any more roses.  So far I have not wavered. 

However, one of the roses I brought last year was mis-supplied, so the growers have just sent me this replacement.  It's Rosa Alba Celestial. Pale pink, rather tall and very healthy, according to the catalogue description.  Here it is settled into its new home.




5. The Rose Garden

Rosa Celestial has been planted near the bird house just seen towards the left of this photo.  Just a few blooms left in the Rose Garden now.  Bonica is the pink variety in the foreground.



6. Learning to Love Moles

I learnt to appreciate moles during the first lock down, when garden centres ,with their ready supplies of compost , were closed.  The spoil from the moles tunnelling makes good potting material  mixed with a little leaf mould.  So the appearance of the odd mole hill has been a good thing.  I reserve the right to change my mind should too many appear at once.  Expect a post titled 'Learning to Hate Moles again' soon.




That's all from my garden this week.  As always there are plenty of other gardens to enjoy on The Propagator, who hosts Six on Saturday.





Comments

  1. Any job this time of the year such as rose planting and leaf gathering is one that is 'banking' results for the future. Thank you for sharing that picturesque view of your rose garden and statue.

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    1. Usually I've ordered quite a few roses, but just having one to plant was rather enjoyable.

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  2. Leaf collecting can seem unending but leafmould is a precious commodity.

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    1. I use it as a mulch. It's amazing how many weeds germinate in it, but at least they pull out easily.

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  3. I don't envy you your leaf raking (it is a great work out) but I do envy you your leaf mould. Not fair, I know! Your new rose looks lovely and strong and I am sure will romp away next year. :)

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  4. Moles are interesting because they give very good, well-drained soil and as long as they are far from bulbs and vegetables, all is well!

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  5. My mum collects the soil from mole hills to top up her raised veggy beds. Zundert Mystery Fox is a stunner and I look forward to seeing the new rose in bloom next year.

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    1. When they really get tunnelling, which I think is in the Spring when they are breeding, I'll copy your Mum and improve the veg plot with it, as the soil there is poor.

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  6. You have a lot of trees so leaf-clearing must be a big job at this time of the year. Will it make lots of rich mulch as a reward for all your hard work? That’s a gorgeous dahlia and not a sign of weather damage either. Very pretty.

    I hope you have been supplied with the right variety this time. It’s very pretty (I’ve googled it). Bonica is a great little rose for late autumn flowering, I have a couple of shots of mine in a post this week too.

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    1. I do use the leaf mould as a mulch on our heavy clay soil. It's great for that, but is full of weed seeds. I've seen your Bonica. You've taken some great photos.

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  7. I've never sprayed foliar feed on my roses. It sounds like hard work but I'm assuming you get good results? I've used granular feed at the roots before although this year I forgot!

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    1. I use the granular feed in the early Spring, but the packet says you should reapply after the first flush of flowers. By then though, there's no bare soil to put it on, so I do the foliar feed too. It's Uncle Toms - the same one the Prop uses. I just hope they appreciate it!

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  8. I know the feeling about leaves, I've got plenty too, oak and also Lime and Hornbeam and Beech. We will be rich in leaf mould! I love the colour and density of those Hawthorn berries, and I'm sure the wildlife loves it too. Your garden looks lovely.

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