Seasons of Snakesbury

Winter planting

I’ve been taking advantage of the mild weather – with soft soil after all the rain it is the perfect time for planting. Today’s session started at first light around 07:00, was interrupted by heavy showers all through the day, and ended at 15:40 sunset. In a productive day like today I can plant about 60 trees. So far this year I have planted about 190.

The process involves the removal of 2 square foot of turf, digging, dipping the tree in a gel suspension of mycorrhizal fungi, planting, wrapping the tree with a bunny guard and then staking it with a cane. This weekend I planted alder buckthorn, lime, wild pear, paper bark birch, silver birch and jacquemontii birch.

These are the jacquemontii birch, grown from seed this year. There’s 62 in this (future) thicket.

Hopefully they will grow as fast as the silver birch which seem to do roughly 1.5m a year at Snakesbury.

This is a (future) avenue of small leaved lime.

Here’s some bird cherry, spindle and wayfaring trees.

It’s good to have these planted in December before the ground gets frozen. And although it’s more like a plastic woodland at the moment within a few years it will start to turn into a real woodland. The journey is wonderful and I’m grateful every day to be doing this.

Winter: now here

The first frost of the year; it seems like winter is here. On the plus side, annual weeds have flopped into mush. The last leaves are falling, revealing the underlying structure of trees. Days are short, the darkness longer every night. The best place is fireside. When morning comes the frosted garden is worth getting cold for. These sedums hold the frost well.The last of the medlars, bletted, now frozen, soon to return to earth.The long borders are being shaped by the frost.Leonotis seedbeds will persist through the harshest winter weather.Gunnera is not nearly as resilient.The weekend brought more rain which made for slightly warmer soil, so I planted some bareroot trees and shrubs: 10 each of guelder rose, wayfaring tree, bird cherry, hornbeam and spindle. That brings the total to 96 planted so far this season, with another 240 to go. The new woodland is starting to take shape..

Trees and memory

Light is precious as autumn gives way to winter. With sunshine and clear skies, today was perfect for planting trees. I’ve put some evergreens in at the top of the field. Partly to remove a future view of the new housing estate on the other side of the tracks. Partly to provide a backdrop for future deciduous trees in the field. Partly because I like conifers. There’s 24 in place now – they seem very vulnerable in the open field but I’m hoping they’ll do OK.

Pinus wallichiana, a wonderful gift, has a great church view and – in the future – beyond.

The hedgerow looking quite wild, in need of weeding – but great, strong growth this year.

Chimneys of Snakesbury and the woodland beyond.

Three newly-planted Acer rubrum; the edge of a future clearing in the future woodland.

The big cherry lost most of its leaves in a single week. Soon to sleep.

Deciduous larch catches fire in the low afternoon light.

Through the hedge.

Classic autumn hues of cotinus and beech.

Recent visits by the heron have depleted the pond but there’s still life in there.

Some very sad news this week. Poppy is no longer with us. She was the most wonderful dog. I planted this Koelreuteria paniculata in her memory. Forever in a field in England.

Poppy. You will be missed. 14842353110_cd122d8919_o

Where the time goes

Autumn colour has reached its ultimate; from here on the colour falls and seeps away into the damp earth. Frosts are starting to knock the more delicate leaves back to earth too. Owl hoots echo through the dark early evenings and into the long nights.

These sedum take on an anaemic look as their colours drain away.A few red berries remain – full of sugar, an attractive autumn snack for birds.The spindle reds go beyond natural, and then they are gone.Cotinus: no smoke but lots of fire.Dogwood leaves drop to reveal their black upright stems.Rowan, red enough to take a position in the field.Prunus ‘Collingwood Ingram’ and liquidambar Pinus radiata: a cone for Christmas.Acer rubrum: nearly lost the lot now but they were incredible.Parrotia persica catching the last of the evening light in the last of its leaves.Rhus glabra ‘Laciniata’ in a delicate moment before final fall.

Soon most of the colour will have gone to ground, the leaves will be away and the low sun won’t really warm the ground. Winter is coming.

Colour before the fall

Deciduous plants are nearing their prime in terms of colour. Autumn has as much interest as spring – if not more – with small dramas breaking out all over the garden.

I want more of these cyclamen.

It is the time of the aster..

..and the liriope.

A callicarpa (for Babs)..

Miscanthus are perfect in this light..

..and liriodendron is butter yellow against an evening contrail.

The variety of colour this year is quite incredible. Perhaps the long hot summer has something to do with it.

A good year for fruiting trees too with an abundance of berries for the birds to feast on.

Time feels suspended – if only by wanting it to be. Winter’s on it’s way but an amazing show is happening in the meanwhile. Lots to do, lots to look at too.

Autumn

Autumn mornings are damp and heavy with dew. Mist flows downhill and gathers in areas where it is obstructed.

The sun rises late these days; usually after we have left for work so we miss how it catches the last of the mist.

The deciduous plants are hanging on to their leaves for now, slowly changing colour every day with some spectacular results.

Autumn is the perfect season for propagation. I’ve been busy splitting perennials, planting seeds and bulbs and doing cuttings. There’s also more than 200 trees to be planted in the next month or so but the shorter days catch me by surprise and it’s dark before I know it. Winter is coming and soon it will be time to rest and plan, but in the meanwhile there’s work to be done.

September

September’s here again. Wheat has been harvested and the swallows are fattening up for their trip overseas to Africa. Nights are cooler and bring a heavy dew with some mist. Some leaves are starting to turn. Autumn is coming

The extreme summer heat has produced a bountiful harvest. Here’s a few of the treats we’ve enjoyed during late summer.

There’s a lot more to enjoy – here’s a few September treats:

Winter brassicas are in; string around them will hopefully deter the pigeons. Celeriac, parsnips, beetroot, kale, spinach and leeks will be ready for when the nights are longer – they’ll remind us of the heat and light of the outstanding summer of 2018.