Gardening Magazine

End of Month Review - October 2014

By Ozhene @papaver
October has seen the much needed return of rain and the arrival of Autumn.  It has also been a mild month, as I write this the last day of the month is due to reach 20c this is remarkably warm.   End of Month Review - October 2014 The magnolia in the front garden is starting to lose its leaves, a good sign that Autumn is here.  It is also covered in buds already for next year.  It looks like it will have lots of flower next year, which is something to look forward to.
End of Month Review - October 2014 The Knot Garden looks suitably knotty.  The hedges have been trimmed fairly recently in readiness for the winter.
End of Month Review - October 2014 The Quince Hedge is still not quite a hedge yet but it definitely growing much better now and getting quite bushy.  I am hopeful it will flower well in the Spring.
End of Month Review - October 2014 Around the corner to the side of the house and the gravel garden is still very green and very covered in Mexican daisies.
End of Month Review - October 2014 The rarely seen Bird Feeder border, (or should it be the green hose border?) is dominated by the Manx fuchsia this time of year.  Every year it grows a bit stronger and a bit bigger.  It has done very well this year.
End of Month Review - October 2014 The cardoon in the Coal Bunker Border is already putting on new growth for next year.  I worry a little about this as we have all the cold, frost and snow to get through.
End of Month Review - October 2014 The asters that were so wonderful just a couple of weeks ago are now a mess of dead flowers.  It is not an attractive habit, but these are quite a nice color in their deadness so I shall let them be for now.
End of Month Review - October 2014 In the Courtyard, along with more green hose, the Rhododendron luteum has it's Autumn colouring and the camellia is covered with buds.
End of Month Review - October 2014 The Sarcoccoa confusa has lots of berries that are on their way to turning black.  Soon it will be placed on the front door step so that it can do its winter thing.
End of Month Review - October 2014 From the rear of the Conservatory Border the garden looks mainly brown and green now, there seems little other color.
End of Month Review - October 2014 Looking closer though, there is still color to be found.  The Pond Border is still doing quite well with the cosmos, tithonia and zinnias still flowering away.
End of Month Review - October 2014 The Rose Hyde Hall hedge is still flowering well too.  I am hoping that will thicken up even further next year.
End of Month Review - October 2014 This picture of the Prairie Borders makes them look vast, they are not really, but I like the idea of them being so.  They are in full Autumn mode now with the Echinops looking fairly dead.  The Verbena bonariensis is still flowering well and proving that it should be there after all.  I think it has spent most of the year trying to convince me that it is in the right place and it has succeeded.  I am even looking forward to how it develops next year now.
End of Month Review - October 2014 To the rear of the Prairie Borders and to the right of the Woodland Borders there are the Aldi Acers.  These are a special type of acer that were very very cheap.  They have been in situ for six years or so now and are developing really well.  They provide wonderful flashes of color this time of year.
End of Month Review - October 2014 The top corner where the great tree catastrophe took place has been planted up with several more shrubettes and some white foxgloves c/o Miss S.  I am hopeful they will look really good next year.
End of Month Review - October 2014 The Gingko appears to be surviving the digging up, turning around and replanting horror that took place.
End of Month Review - October 2014 and the snapped off Davidia is showing some new growth.  I live in hope that it will survive.
End of Month Review - October 2014 Meanwhile Bruce (his gingerness to his minions) is trying to push the Horse Chestnut tree over.
End of Month Review - October 2014 The Wild Garden is looking quite Autumnal and I have great hopes for it next year.  There are now many more bulbs in it and more shrubs.  The leaning Catalpa in the center of this photograph is going to get some attention once it has gone into dormancy.  It needs staking back upright and I think one of its two main branches needs to come off it make it have one lead.
End of Month Review - October 2014 The Spindle tree is colouring up well.
End of Month Review - October 2014 The other gingko is turning buttery yellow. 
End of Month Review - October 2014 and the Medlars need harvesting soon but I think they like a bit of frost first if possible.
End of Month Review - October 2014 In the Tree Lupin border the echinacea are doing their brown cone thing and the dahlias are still flowering.
End of Month Review - October 2014 I have planted out one of my two tree dahlias I have grown from seed.  I am assured that if I mulch it well it will get through the winter.  My cautiousness means I am still keeping the other one in the greenhouse this time, but if it does get through ok then it will join its sister outside.
End of Month Review - October 2014 Meanwhile the other peonies are showing how the recent winds have affected them.
End of Month Review - October 2014 and the lone rose from the abandoned, never really got started, side border flowers to itself in misery.  I might give this area more thought this Winter.  It lacked purpose and direction so never came to be. I shall have to stand and stare at it a few times to see if inspiration strikes.
End of Month Review - October 2014 The Four Sisters however are happy in their world.
End of Month Review - October 2014 After three years of sulking because I moved it to a more sheltered, more suitable location; the Carol Klein acer has grown well this year.
End of Month Review - October 2014 and the Edgeworthia has grown very well this year.  I will anxiously watch it all Winter and I vaguely hope for flowers next year.
End of Month Review - October 2014 I just love how Autumn color ripples through the pleached hornbeams.
End of Month Review - October 2014 The veg borders look a bit sad.  The sweetcorn needs removing now but produced really well this year.  The broccoli I did not remove from last year looks like it might broccle again, now wouldn't that be rather wonderful?
End of Month Review - October 2014 The greenhouse is looking full of various overwinterings, cuttings and seedlings.
End of Month Review - October 2014 and his gingerness.
End of Month Review - October 2014 and the pond?  Yes its still a disgrace, yes I am going to clear it out, maybe even before the end of November.  It will be done (promise).
Thanks as ever to Helen for hosting this meme.

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