Harlow Carr is basking in glorious late summer sun! The garden is looking beautiful and the colours of vibrant late perennials are mixed with the first soft hues of early autumn.
A stroll around the garden at this time of year is a real treat for me! It's a time to reflect on our success and the odd disappointment, whilst preparing for the spring and summer seasons ahead.
If there is one constant in life it is that gardening lends itself to the future, so it is best to plan well ahead! But always remember to take time out to stop and stare and enjoy.
I have just been out on our Main Border doing some plant recording. I find a digital camera really useful to record late flowering perennials and grasses which at the moment are looking at their very best.
What is rewarding about this technique is that you can get up close and personal to plants and capture their splendour. Digital photographs are a good reference and planning aid when the flowers have faded and the borders are dormant. It is good to sit back with your images on a cold, wet winter's day preferably enjoying a nice hot drink, dreaming of flowers to come.
The Garden Team are busy at the moment, we are just in the middle of our hedge cutting programme including ~ Carpinus (Hornbeam) Fagus (Beech) Taxus (Yew) At this time of year we often get the enquiries from our visitors confusing Hornbeam with Beech. The easiest way to determine the difference if you are new to plants is by looking at the buds and leaves. Beech has pointed buds and glossy leaves, whilst Hornbeam has rounded buds and matt leaves.
Our new trainees have started with us this week so I have been busy with their induction and starting their master-class training. Guess what their first master-class was on............Hedge Cutting!
The course I manage here at Harlow Carr is very much about practical hands on Horticulture linked with modern practice and technique. This enables our trainees to develop sound practical skills and knowledge for the future.
If I was honest I look at our trainees with envious eyes, with so much learning ahead of them, they are embarking on a fabulous journey!
Enjoy your Gardening.............Dean Peckett ~ Garden Manager