Nature Blog by Jenny Bourne
Views and opinions expressed in this Nature Blog are those of the author.
Red and gold
Date posted: Tuesday 22nd October 2024

A prolonged spell of mild and intermittently very wet weather and it’s still not feeling very autumnal, apart from a bright Hunter’s Moon last week and cobwebs shimmering in early morning light.
But the damp soil has been ideal for spring bulb planting in our small communal flower beds and in our plots – the hidden treasure that provides such a welcome sight in early spring and valuable forage for early pollinators.
Around the site there are still bright pops of colour from the usual late seasonal asters, salvias, sunflowers, sedum as well as white lamium, calendula, borage and pretty cyclamen etc…and courgettes are still flowering!
Among the brassicas the nasturtiums are still ramping, much to the annoyance of the Head Gardener who would like them all cleared away; the preponderance of leaves rather than flowers is indicative of a fertile soil, evidence of the manure spread fulsomely last winter over the area.
Sunflowers are still bringing in the bees and the beekeeper reports that the hive occupants have been very busy and active over the past couple of weeks of mild weather. Roses are still budding and the last rose of summer still seems to be hanging on into late October. I remember my aunt Iris, a professional soprano, singing ‘The Last Rose of Summer’ at the wedding of her new sister-in-law many (many!) years ago when I was a youngster; this is for you, Iris!
So far the leaves are still only just starting to turn colour and it’s not yet time to start raking up all that invaluable organic matter to strew as mulch over fruit beds. It has been an extremely wet autumn so far but it does mean that hand weeding is easier. I’m leaving up perennials on Pollinator Patch and at the plot for over-wintering pollinators, especially ladybirds who take shelter in the hollow stems of echinops.
The plant structures are ideal frames for female spiders to weave their webs and flower seeds are foraged by winter birds. If at all possible, wait til spring to cut back your flower variety perennials and meanwhile it’s time to mulch, mulch, mulch and shortly to be raking up those ‘falling leaves of red and gold..’
Jenny Bourne 21.10.24
All views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the author only