In the Garden with Michael Pell

The gardening year has a wonderful rhythm to it, don’t you think? Just as summer turns to autumn, so Roses and Hydrangeas give way to Asters and Rudbeckias. The number of Rudbeckia varieties have grown considerably over the last few years and we have several growing in the garden here at Lewis Cottage. For some, the bright yellow daisy like flowers of many are too brash and energetic, but for me not only do they bring joy to a dull autumn day, they also extend the sense of summer lasting just a few more weeks to the end of September. When the sun is shining, bees and hoverflies cover the whole plant collecting nectar like tomorrow might never come.

One of the stand out Rudbeckias has to be R.laciniata “herbstonne”. It grows to over 6ft tall from a large mound of fernlike leaves that are semi evergreen here in Devon. In late spring tall stems begin to rise from the crown with bright, sunshine flowers opening in late August that last right through to the first frosts. Even then, on a misty morning the flowerless stems connected by overnight cobwebs look fabulous, waiting for the finches to peck away at the almost black coloured seedheads. R.fulgida Goldsturm is another classic variety, much shorter than “Herbstonne” at only 2ft, but still packing a punch in the middle of a border, less stroppy than its taller sibling but holding its own without needing to be staked and it looks great in a prairie style border amongst tall grasses. Alongside these perennials there are several annual varieties, one of which, R.rustic dwarf, I grew this year. Of course, I have thrown the empty packet away and a quick search online tells me it is both a perennial and an annual. I’ll hedge my bets and collect the seed when they’re done but will leave the plants in place, in case they are indeed a perennial variety. A first frost test is all it will take to be sure. I have to say that I’m not so keen on growing annuals; they seem a lot of work for a few weeks of glorious colour but I have been very impressed with this one. The colours are mixed; from burnt orange through yellow with a dark brown stripe, as if someone has stopped by with a paintbrush dipped in chocolate. Definitely one to grow again.

As I’m chattering on about annuals there are a few more that we’ve grown this year (Richard was trying to reduce his stash of seed packets this year I think) that are well worth mentioning. We weren’t sure they would amount to much as we sowed them a bit late but by jingo they’ve really come up trumps and have filled gaps in the borders as the summer flowers have faded.

The annual Persicaria orientalis, common name “Kiss me over the garden gate!” was slow to start and only a couple germinated (that could be because I ignored the instructions to sow in Autumn!) but they are so graceful that I’ll be collecting seed from that one and sowing immediately this time. There’s a lovely mauve striped Malva as well whose name I forget (I threw the packet away but could be a form of Malva zebrina) which has flourished in our deep rich clay soil. Lastly, a novelty plant Amaranthus Autumn Torch – a form of Loves lies Bleeding (a dreadfully messy plant). It has upright plumes rather than those droopy velvet tassles that remind me of that stuff you give budgies (millet). I’m sure if I had sown the seed much earlier than I did, the plants would have grown to their full 3ft. As it stands, they are a mere 6 inches, but there’s always next year.

Talking of which, next year is going to be a momentous year for the garden at Lewis Cottage. Call it the 30 year itch if you will, but we are going to make some big changes and to do so means that we won’t be able to open the garden for the NGS in 2024. However, in order not to disappoint everyone, we will still open “by arrangement”. This means that prebooked garden clubs, art groups and the like will still be able to visit the garden and can watch the work as it happens, but as the works involve the renovation of quite a few mature trees and in a few cases removal (mostly Ash, sadly) trying to open the garden safely to the general public would be reckless. It means, of course, that we will need to have a grand reopening in 2025, hopefully in May that year and of course I will keep you posted on everything that we do as the work progresses. If you belong to a garden group or can rustle up a group of more than 12 like-minded people, head over to the Private Tours page on the Lewis Cottage Plants website and follow the instructions on how to book. https://lewiscottageplants.co.uk/index.php/private-tours/

For those who visited the garden this year, thank you. Through your entrance fees and generous donations for seeds, greetings cards, homemade jams and chutneys and garden objets d’art you helped double the amount we raised in 2022 which is an amazing result. We look forward to welcoming you all back in 2025!

JOBS FOR THE COMING MONTH

If your greenhouse is fairly empty, now's a good time to clean and disinfect it. It lets in more light and prevents pests and diseases from over-wintering.

Sweep up fallen leaves that harbour fungal spores and provide ideal hiding places for slugs and snails. Use them to make leaf mould.

Lift and divide any overcrowded herbaceous perennials whilst the soil is still warm.

Lift dahlia tubers to store over the winter months. Remove any dead foliage before storing them.

Prune rambling and climbing roses once they've finished flowering, and tie in the stems before autumn winds cause damage.

Cut back perennial plants that have died down. Alternatively leave the dead foliage in place to shelter friendly wildlife.

After tidying borders, mulch with bark chips, well-rotted manure, leaf mould or spent mushroom compost to insulate plant roots for the winter and keep weed growth in check.

This month is the ideal time to plant hedges and move trees and shrubs.

Reuse old grow bags by cutting away the top and sowing late salad crops.

Cut back the fruited canes of your summer fruiting raspberries, leaving the new green canes for next year's crop.

Divide congested clumps of rhubarb by digging up and splitting into several pieces with a spade. Re-plant the healthiest pieces.

Remove the netting from fruit cages to allow birds to catch and eat any pests that are lurking there.

f you haven't done so already, remove any greenhouse shading to allow as much light in as possible.

Reuse spent compost from annual container displays as a mulch on the garden.

Create compost bins for collecting fallen leaves and dead plant material.

Clean out water butts and let the autumn rains refill them. Install a new water butt ready for next year.

Raise pots off the ground for the winter with bricks or 'pot feet', to prevent waterlogging.

More information on the garden at Lewis Cottage can be found here https://lewiscottageplants.co.uk