My Garden

If the current trend of cold nights and sunny days continues then we're in for some spectacular autumn colour here at Harlow Carr. Autumn is very much in evidence already this week with misty mornings and heavy dews.

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After the success of the Harlow Carr Autumn Plant Fair last Sunday our grass was looking a little worse for wear on Monday morning.  We had hundreds of happy plant hunters trekking across the sodden ground with their booty.  So, in an unexpected window of dry sunny weather, we got our big push/pull Hayter mowers out and did some rather wet mowing!   It does have the advantage of helping the areas to dry out quicker, and stops the grass from becoming too shaggy as we cannot use the ride-on mower at the moment, the ground conditions mean it would be more like tobogganing than mowing!

I removed some rather lack lustre perennial digitalis from the top of the main borders, and replaced it with one we have grown from seed, Digitalis nervosa.   A glorious specimen with butter yellow tubular flowers, which I think will compliment the Crocosmia x crosmiiflora ‘Solfatare’ beautifully.  We use the perennial digitalis to great effect on the main borders and in other areas of the garden. They are not just woodlanders, but some will thrive in full sun, such as Digitalis x mertonensis with pink sorbet coloured blooms, and the magnificent tall Digitalis ferruginea.  Both worth a second glance. Read More...

Despite the fact that I cannot remember the last day that we didn't have at least some rain, the gardens here at Harlow Carr are looking very good, in particular the main borders. They were designed to have year round interest but to look at their very best from late summer and autumn, and they are doing just that. The Heleniums have been particularly good this year.

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