Changing surroundings

As autumn approaches our focus adjusts on ways in which we can extend interest outside.  We have achieved this through careful research of plant and tree choices that we know will be attractive to us and to wildlife as they put on their autumn display of fruit and foliage.

Two Amelanchier trees, one at the back of the garden - the Lamarkii (above left) and one that we can see from the kitchen window - the Robin Hill (above right) are changing colour.  The leaves are beautiful and bright popping against the grey of the fence or blue of the potting shed.  The former has been underplanted with the orange and red large daisy-heads of Gaillardia and Rudbeckia that do exceptionally well in our clay soil.

Our companion planting of a Vitis climbing up a Willow and Cornus alba planted beneath the Birch trees are coming into their own as the seasons change. 

Other planting combinations that have worked incredibly well for us this year are the sedum/spirea and the sedum/euphorbia matches above - you can't beat those colours they really do put smiles on our faces.  

Other reds in the garden include the stunning foliage of the climbing Chinese virginia creeper that is beginning to establish itself and the pinnate leaves of the columnar Mountain ash below.   

We have received some excellent news, a neighbour is having three huge Conifers and an uncontrollable coppiced Ash tree cut down.  This is almost 3 years after we did the same.  The Conifer that remains was originally in a group of about four others  along the border  on our property (hence the dead growth that is shown in the picture below right).  

We won't miss them one bit I think the only loss to the environment will be the Pigeons and Grey Squirrels that have made their home in them.  Hopefully through their removal we will see some improvement in the quality of our lawns and plant performance and that this will promote diversity in the wildlife visiting our garden.

Looking ahead an area beneath the shadow cast by one of these Coniferous trees will no-longer be in shade.  Whilst the bed remains sheltered on two other sides by a fence and a shed it will become a full-sun border for the majority of the day (11:00 to 15:00) when the sun can be at its hottest.  This South-facing border contains fruit trees and a mix of woodland plants including Ferns, J. anemones and Primrose.  Other plants such as Alchemilla mollis and Achillea millefolium do well in either sun of shade so can stay put for now.

We have carefully lifted the plants using a garden fork and relocated them with the help of some FB and B plant food beneath a dwarf root Cherry tree.  This is a sheltered north-west facing corner.  The ferns nearer the front will protect the roots of the climbing Hydrangea and the Clematis previously planted against these fence panels at the back - green fingers crossed everything works and this time next year we see improvements as the garden evolves! 🌳