Working with nature’s twists and turns

19th November 2022 and we have only just been teased with the first frost of the year. Overnight it hovered around 1 °C. No blackening of leaves, not quite crystallised but nonetheless it was quite refreshing to see the grass and thatched roof turn a nice shade of icy blue before being warmed by shards of sunlight.

I think it’s safe to say we’ve had a very warm year - a year of unseasonal extremes here in the garden.

It started in February when the force of storm Eunice’s 85mph winds sadly brought down two of our larger trees - a wonderful blue cedar and a poplar.

Watching the destruction was quite exhausting. Our little plot is set on a slight hill, next to farmland and open to all the elements. Some damage had been expected as we have over a hundred trees but seeing nature’s brute force was quite something to witness. Despite its height (approx. 50 feet) the blue cedar was a relatively young tree of 30-40 years. There may have been more destruction had the storms hit during spring and summer when deciduous trees were in leaf. Thankfully we were safe.

Wind-damaged branches came in useful. We chipped many to cover the ground around the new soft fruit area. Everything else has been used to add to a 70 metre long dead hedge we began in March.. Not an easy process digging into the thick stony ground to assemble wooden stakes, but it soon took shape as we added bits of a fallen leylandii and herbaceous pruning’s, all from the garden. We do not waste anything! More of the dead hedge next month..

As one tree falls another is planted. Actually, two were planted this year - a cherry blossom ‘Fragrant Cloud’ near the pond and a quince in a new central round border.

One of the biggest projects we undertook this year was creating and planting up five new borders. Some words of advice if you plan to create a new flower bed - never underestimate how many plants are needed…oh and set a budget! We had a rough design of the beds, and the budget was blown very quickly. A mix of dahlias – dozens of overwintered divided tubers and new varieties were brought out of the greenhouse in April; roses, verbena, nicotiana and much more. Arched bean poles assembled for sweet peas, clematis and roses.

The West border replacing an old leaky 1970's pond. Before (2020); During (Mar 2022); After (Sept 2022)

Soon after planting up the last of the borders, we experienced record-breaking temperatures and the start of a summer heatwave. Temperatures rose to 36°C and the heat stayed…

The ground became so dry many plants had become stressed. The lawn slowly turned to straw and the ground formed two-inch cracks. It didn’t take long to empty the water butts. Saving grey water became a daily task. Given that many of the plants were young their roots had not yet established, and they needed regular watering. Hydrangeas wilted. There was no rainfall until the end of July, albeit a mere sprinkling on the leaves, not reaching soil. The downpours finally arrived in mid-August but due to the amount of rain there was a risk of it simply running off the hard ground.

The ground was so dry some of the trees started losing their leaves. Branches laden with ripening apples boughed and drooped almost touching the ground.

Temperatures in the greenhouse reached 50°C – the tomatoes stopped bearing fruit. Many of the plants had delayed flowering, yet others thrived. Drought tolerant plants such as achillea, lavender, penstemon, eryngium, verbena bonariensis, fennel and gaura savoured the heat and drought. To help retain moisture during the drought we applied a thick layer of mulch and manure.

It was quite the year for the hummingbird hawk moth that migrate from Southern Europe. We would normally see one or two over the summer months but due to the unseasonal temperatures they arrived in their droves and stayed for months into a mild November.

The new borders didn’t really get into their stride until late August, which brought a riot of colour from hot pink salvias and many a new variety of dahlia stealing the show.

With heatwaves and droughts becoming more likely in the UK we are seeing less of a cool temperate climate and more Mediterranean. This shift really has made us rethink how we garden and which plants to grow.

This year’s projects certainly have posed some challenges however we are super pleased with the outcome. Some careful consideration and editing will be needed on future planting choices. Would we take on an epic planting project in future? Maybe not as ambitious as this one but it has been a success despite natures twists and turns. Seeing insects feast on nectar and pollen rich flowers you’ve sown and grown makes the whole experience worthwhile. So much nicer to see a garden teaming with wildlife rather than a boring lawn.

Over the next few weeks, we’ll update you on some of the other garden projects we’ve carried out this year including a new wildlife pond, hedging and dead-hedge and a soft fruit area.

Thanks for reading and feel free to comment and share.