We survived!! After a weekend battling amber-level storm Austen, followed by more wind and heavy rain, it’s fair to say the garden was put through its paces but we have thankfully come out on top.
Other than a few pretty big branches the garden is otherwise intact which is a huge relief after the destruction of storm Goretti.
The leaves on the other hand took two gardeners two and a half hours, and after the rest of the day clearing up, over 14,000 steps! It was fair to say we were ready to go home at the end of that day.
Leaf blowing is a major job in autumn as the trees wave goodbye to another year of growth. You may wander around thinking how ‘un-leafy’ it is and that’s thanks to our hard work first thing in the morning; we’re like the Tailor of Gloucester but with gardeners in Cornwall!
Pond Maintenance
The jobs this time of year tend to get messier the more squelchy everything gets. Herbaceous plants begin to retreat to a slimy mat, and leaves cover every available patch of ground.
One job we do in the autumn is pond maintenance. It’s done both with waders and by boat and allows us to clear out any nuisance weeds blocking the waterway before the heavy rains of winter. Nearing the end of autumn is a good time to do as amphibians have finished breeding and insects have left the water stage. We always leave any pond debris on the side overnight to allow any hijacked wildlife to return back to the ponds.
Getting Ready for Father Christmas
Some tree work has had to be done this year before Santa Claus arrives at his workshop. The huge Cupressus macrocarpa has been causing problems above the Vinery shed for a while now, periodically dropping big branches and sometimes leading to the cancellation of Santa days if we were unfortunate enough to receive bad weather.
It was a huge undertaking and took over 3 days to reduce down to just a small trunk. Our tree surgeons did an exceptional job of roping each branch, carefully avoiding any mishaps with the roof. A massive stack of wood, basically 2/3 of a mature tree was moved by two gardeners and a lot of muscle.
If you head along Camellia Walk you might still smell the scent of freshly cut Conifer, and you will most certainly notice the large amount of light which now comes in, helped by the reduction of some Camellias to prevent damage.
The Autumn Chop Begins
Finally, we can’t wait any longer to tidy up the sorry stems of the Gunnera in the valley. After a summer of hardly any rain and a windy start to Autumn, almost no stems are left standing. We have started on the patch below the bottom lawn and we will be continuing on in the valley over the coming weeks. Each year we create a valley of little party hats, stacking the enormous leaves on top of the more tender crowns, protecting them throughout winter. The stems rot down, feeding the giant plants and the ground where they grow to bring them back bigger and stronger next year – the circle of life.
Still Cutting
Cornwall with its unique climate, particularly mild this year, means everything grows for longer. We are still mowing the grass and cutting hedges and plants are even re-shooting.
Just this week the Oak (Ilex) hedge by the entrance was expertly chopped into shape and is looking pretty perfect.
Over the next few weeks, we go into full Christmas mode at Trebah putting all our hard work behind the scenes into action for you to enjoy. It may seem early to be talking about it but weeks of planning and preparations go into the display that cheers up Trebah over the festive period. Without giving too much away, this year is not to be missed and comprises of a real mix of materials and lots of innovation.
Balancing all this with our normal garden maintenance, we are always kept busy; you can guarantee there is always a tree fern to be pruned.
So as we move further into Autumn, we are reminded that there is brightness even on those grey days. The dazzling display of yellow from the Birches (Betula) and the red and orange or the Liquidambar cheer up even the most mizzly of days, and our flowering Camellia sasanqua’s remind us that there is beauty to be had year round if you just get outside and look for it.
