Woke up wondering if I had maybe missed summer this morning – the cool nip of autumn is very much upon us and we are busy collecting fallen leaves already from the trees off the paths in the garden. All the autumn fruit is looking delicious too…there are lots of blackberries in our boundary hedges, so I have been busy picking for my apple and bramble crumbles! All the crab apple trees too are laden and the gorgeous tints are glowing in the morning sunshine, I do love autumn, but it would have been nice to have had a summer first!
This Euonymus oxyphyllus has amazing fruit, bright fuschia pink and red, not a colour you would usually put together..but it works!
The team has started the onerous task of hedge cutting, a seasonal task which we perform late summer so as not to disturb nesting birds. Big excitement amongst the team as we have some new hedge cutters this year! Just a short back and sides, not renovation cutting which is best done in the winter when the hedge is in its dormancy. It is a strangely hypnotising task which mainly male members of the public seem to like to view! All the rain is making the grass grow still at a rate of knots, so it will be mowing too this week…
The big top arrived on Friday ready for the weekend's excitement of the Gardeners Question Time panel recording in the garden...I will let Dean fill you in later in the week on the happenings....
Must go and see someone about my work boots…couldn’t work out why my left sock was soggy on Friday……time for a new pair before the snow arrives!
Sarah Bell
Team Leader - Gardens West