With guests imminent this week we spent some time putting together a vase for the Genus dining table. Despite being so late in the season and with frosts not far away it’s amazing what can be found in the autumn garden. With dahlias, nasturtiums, the petal-less stems of anemones, and evergreen fillers of ivy and Garrya we were soon able to create a very presentable vase.
In the flower garden the pond has recently been renovated with the addition of new edging-stones, and with the work complete we replaced the mesh that keeps children safe and fish-stealing birds at bay. Strong ground anchors are corkscrewed into the ground at several points around the pond, a spider's web of cord stretched between them, and a strong thick mesh pulled tightly over the top.
One or two of the borders, particularly on the north side of the cottage, are looking very tired so geraniums and several other perennials were cut to the ground. In a few weeks' time, after we plant next spring's bulbs, the beds will receive a mulch of our very own recipe: homegrown compost with the addition of leaf-mould and fine grit. We've been doing this for the last ten years or more, and it's a job that has really paid off; our wonderful soil is now very free draining and easy to work, making planting a joy.
In the orchard, mild weather continues to make the grass grow, so the grass, though a little damp, was given a cut. The last one of the year? We keep thinking so but we’ll report back in a few weeks time.