Green Fingers: Fall for a fabulous flaming autumn
The beautiful Japanese maple, Acer Palmatum.
We are a small populated nation with proportionally an even smaller number of gardeners, and that number is being replaced continuously by a new generation of people that spend some time in the garden.
Notice that I did not name the newcomers as gardeners, and that is because a recent study has shown that people whose main hobby is gardening is decreasing each year.
Life does not stand still and is under constant change, and while this pace has been historically passive, in recent times the speed has increased dramatically.
It is not a problem for the younger generation as they know no different but for those from the mid-forties onwards it can be a struggle at times. For the ‘New Kid on the Block’ gardening for them is to treat the outside like interior decorating and have the area pretty neat, tidy and colourful whenever they spend time outside and that means from Easter until early autumn, and only a small proportion will progress beyond this and become keen gardeners.
Most of us would prefer distinct seasons, instead of the mishmash that we appear to be experiencing these days. Of course, animals and plants do not like the disruption either and become out of sorts, maybe even weakening to the point they die if conditions deteriorate further.
What we do enjoy are the beautiful, colourful shades of plants during the autumn months, but this is dependent on whether we get a period of dry, warm days. Wind and rain can ruin overnight an otherwise wonderful fiery autumn display.
It is the leaves of plants that provide the majority of autumn colours and in our climate, gardeners have selected plants that will provide autumnal interest even when conditions are not perfect.
Native plants such as the guelder rose and spindle are two good hedgerow plants that provide reliable orange-red colours and also have berries to complement the show. Native trees usually have a reddish tinge (mountain ash) but mostly it is shades of yellow that permeate the landscape.
Of course, there are many more, such as the common blackberry, but I think they are to be enjoyed where they are in the wild. The best place to see potential plants for autumn colours, and maybe even berries as a bonus, are in gardens open to the public and nurseries. It may need a few visits to select the best colours as they might develop over a number of weeks and this is especially true for the common Japanese maple - Acer Palmatum. I am sure that you might have only room for a few of these desirable plants, so do go for those that give the longest show and maybe also some nice flowers in season or berries, or both.
Some queries have come in on what vegetables to sow now, and the simple answer is that it is not practical or worthwhile to grow vegetables during the winter months, except for planting garlic and winter onion sets, which will just make roots and be ready for a quick start in the spring.
People storing fruit and vegetables usually use the freezer but many, such as carrots, potatoes and parsnips, can stay in the ground until needed.
If you have queries or comments you are welcome to share them with me on 051 384273 or orchardstowngardencentre@hotmail.com and if of general interest I will include it in a future article.
