When the skies have not been filled with exploding fireworks, I have been enjoying the recent clear nights. I must have joined millions and millions of others through the ages gazing up at the unending sparkling display.
Which is why I find the trees in our local Romsey high street all the more fascinating: they belong to the genus Ginkgo, which extend back to the Middle Jurassic period approximately 170 million years ago and there is fossil evidence that the genus existed as far back as 290 million years ago. This is way longer than any other commonly used plants.
With male and female trees and a reproductive system akin to ferns, they are elegant, interesting and let’s face it, tough to have lasted that long. They are also pretty good to stare at if you are in a queue: it kind of puts waiting into perspective! There are various small and narrow forms that can be bought and depending on the size of your outdoor space, well worth considering as an addition to your garden.
Now is a good time to plant trees: try to do your homework to check that you are not giving yourself (or your neighbours) a headache for the future. Over pruned and over trimmed trees always look distorted to me as they are never seen in their full glory: plant breeders are constantly developing varieties that will be suitable for urban gardens where space is a premium. As a Hampshire garden designer based in Romsey I need to keep an eye on these developments.
On the maintenance side, there is plenty to do to get your garden in order before the winter sets in:
• Now is the time of year to prune Japanese maples. Make sure you cut right back to the branch or stem so as not to leave a “clothes peg”!
• Raking leaves can seem to be an endless task, but it is worth it. Firstly, it allows the lawn to breathe and reduces the chance of mould developing. Secondly, the leaves are good news in a compost heap when a layer of soil is added every 30 cm or so.
• Burning leaves is another way of processing them: the ash is good for the soil as it is high on potassium - the element that encourages fruit and flowers. Add any diseased plant material to the fire too including rose leaves that have black spot.
• Make a note of any attractive autumn-coloured shrubs: you may want to use them as part of your own garden improvements.
• Put rabbit guards on new trees to stop them gnawing at the bark if food is scarce in a harsh winter. Check tree ties too: loosen ones that are too tight as this can inhibit the flow of sap and therefore nutrients, around the tree.
• Prune shrub and standard roses by about a third in order that the wind does not rock them (!) and damage the root system.
• Lift pots and containers off the ground by a few centimetres and give them “feet” of tiles or stone to avoid water logging. Pots that are fragile should have their winter wrap to prevent frost damage: bubble wrap is effective.
• Continue to mow lawns until the frosts come in, raising your blade to the maximum height as the month goes on.
• Leave ivy untrimmed as it will produce berries as valuable food for the birds in the spring. Clean and fill bird feeders and put out fat balls.
It is hard not to be feel awe inspired when looking at the many and varied ways that trees have developed through the ages. They are the lungs of the world, provide buiding materials, our food, our medicine, sometimes our fuel and more recently have been valued as part of our recreation and essential contributors to our mental health.
Thinking of buying someone something special for this year? Look no further!