This isn’t the autumn I imagined. Walks in the park filled with rich colour and crisp leaves that crunch underfoot; cold, bright days, warm scarves and cosy boots. October 2020 has been rain, rain and more rain – with winds that strip the trees bare before they’re quite ready to give up the leaves of their own accord.
I’m cheered though, by next week’s forecast that shows by the middle of the week, some dry weather is ahead, with temperatures dropping…it’s been a strangely mild month. Perhaps next week it will begin to feel a bit more like autumn.
Bulbs are on standby for the first available day where the soil isn’t too wet and sticky to get them into the ground. Spring preparations will finally be underway! I’m hopeful.
Skimmia japonica
This skimmia has been in the garden forever, well, I suppose, more than 15 years. It requires no maintenance, no pruning, or any special treatment; it grows happily in its own spot, where it gets afternoon shade in summer and shade all winter. It’s worth its weight in gold.
This is the female plant, evergreen, with vivid berries that remaim on the plant throughout the year, though more distinct in autumn and winter. The flower buds that you can see in the photograph will open to tiny white flowers in spring. It’s a worthwhile plant for any garden with year-round interest.
Skimmia japonica ‘Rubella’
I planted this one just a few weeks ago, and I’m looking forward to seeing those red flower buds transform into white flowers or perhaps peeking out through some snow in winter. That would be nice. This is the male plant and won’t produce berries which is the main feature of the skimmia above.
Bacopa ‘Gulliver White’
Here we are on the last day of October and this bacopa is still flowering its heart out. Sadly, I need its pot for tulips, so it will have to be evicted within the next week or so, but it has flowered so well that I’ll definitely give this one a spot in the garden next year. I notice that it’s already on sale as rooted cuttings for April delivery.
New Plants
The first resident of the new fence has been planted. Flowering from April-June and again in September, Clematis Koreana ‘Amber’ should grow to around 2.5m (8ft) and will hopefully be as dense with small flowers as the marketing photographs show. It’s a Group 1 clematis, and according to the supplier’s website, requires no pruning. That, for me, is a bonus.
Next to the clematis is Rosa ‘The Pilgrim’, bought from David Austin Roses as a bare root plant. I had to think carefully about putting two similar-coloured plants in the same area, and although there will be an overlap in flowering time, they’re both very different in size and shape. ‘Amber’ is described as creamy yellow, primrose yellow or just yellow and R. ‘The Pilgrim’ appears to be a strong lemony yellow. They might not work together, but if that’s the case, Clematis ‘Amber’ can be moved.
You might just be able to see from the label that the clematis was the RHS Chelsea Flower Show Plant of the Year 2016. I hope it lives up to my expectations! 😁
Dahlias
These two patio dahlias are still producing some flowers, but they’re starting to run out of steam. The one on the left is unnamed and on the right, is D. ‘Art Deco’. If you want to see Art Deco at its best, it featured on 15th August.
Cotoneaster horizontalis
The cotoneaster at the side of the house has been cut back so many times but it’s still doing its own thing and has now taken on the appearance of a small tree. It’s now growing through and over the fence. At the bottom though, it’s growing again where it was chopped back and if it doesn’t get that treatment again it will start crawling across the patio. There’s no stopping it.
That’s all from me this week, take care, stay safe and enjoy whatever you’re doing in the garden this weekend.
ABOUT SIX ON SATURDAY
To join with other garden enthusiasts from around the world, and see how they garden, just take six photographs and post them to Twitter and/or your blog each Saturday. You can get all the details from The Propagator who kindly set it all up.
All photographs copyright of Catherine Wood unless otherwise stated
Notes From My Garden 
If the bacopa is still happy, I would get another pot for the tulips and not disturb it. 🤔 That’s why my garden is rather disorganised, common sense should prevail, not sentiment. Anyway, lovely colours still. I had forgotten how stunning cotoneasters were.
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I know where you’re coming from with ’sentiment’ in the garden. The only problem is, that I’m also sentimental about the pot that the bacopa is in and it belongs to the tulips – on loan only to the bacopa. 😂 I think by the time next week comes temperatures will have dropped and it will be time for it to say goodbye.
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There’s nothing gets my grass is greener streak going like Clematis. Everywhere I look I see varieties that I’m sure I’d have grabbed if I’d ever seen them offered for sale. ‘Amber’ is the right size, colour and everything else, there’s no way I’d have passed it by.
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It’s still available for sale Jim. Bought that one, along with C. ‘Walenburg’ from Taylors Clematis. Arrived well packaged, healthy and about 1m in height. No complaints.
Tempted? 😁
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I am tempted, heading for their website now.
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This clematis is interesting and I’m sure it will be as beautiful in bloom as the seed head is!
Pretty dark foliage of the yellow dahlia 😍
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I hope it’s smothered in flowers in springtime! We’ll see.
I think the snails don’t like the dark leaves quite as much as they like the green variety. 🐌
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Good to know !
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That clematis looks like it should be stunning. There aren’t many plants in that soft shade and the shape of the flower heads looks delightful. I like the cotoneaster tree. It shows of the growth habit of the plant well.
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I really hope it’s going to be a stunner. I’ll be watching it carefully.
I wasn’t aware that the cotoneaster had pushed through the fence – my husband is grumbling that it ‘will have to go’. Hmm…we’ll see about that. 😁
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Good luck with all the bulb planting. I have my tulips ready and waiting but rain has stopped play. I love your choice of climbers for the fab new fence. We SoSers will be keen to see how it looks next year.
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Katharine, I don’t have my narcissus, camassia or allium bulbs in yet. I hope you get a break in this dreadful weather to get your tulips in. We’re expecting winds to increase to 63mph shortly, but right now – the SUN is out. That wasn’t on the forecast! 😂
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Can’t wait to see Rosa ‘The Pilgrim’ in flower next year. Both skimmia look a show. I never had much luck with Skimmia japonica ‘Rubella’ for some reason. Their flowers are fragrant if I remember correctly. I’m now wondering if I’ve planted the cotoneaster ‘h’ too close to the fence – I’d better keep an eye on it!
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I haven’t had a sniff at the Skimmia ‘Rubella’ yet, but the leaves are also supposed to be fragrant (I think, on both plants)
Hate to tell you Graeme – the cotoneaster wasn’t planted anywhere near the fence – it’s just travelled along there of its own accord. 😁
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Oh heck…..!
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The skimmias are so cheering – very much what we all need. Rain continues to delay my bulb planting and like you I am having to evict some plants to make way for the tulips. I put last year’s bacopa in a pot and left it in the gh (neglected) it just about made it through the winter. So maybe you can find a home for it somewhere – but then I’m much further south!
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It appears that so many of us are struggling to get bulbs into the ground because of the weather. Perhaps next week will find us all on our knees in the garden (mud?) finally getting them planted.
It’s good that you can overwinter plants like bacopa in the greenhouse – I might be able to do the same here, but I think I’m soon going to have a plant queue at the greenhouse door. 😆
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We’ve had just the Autumn you were hoping for, quite spectacular, really, although this morning, with a heavy frost on the ground, it’s a tad chilly! Still… I’m really impressed with the Cotonoeaster – s much for the ‘horizontalis’ eh?
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Oh, you’re making me envious Chris. It must be beautiful with the frost on the ground. I don’t mind when it’s cold and frosty as long as I’m warmly dressed for it. I’ll pop along to your blog shortly to see what you have on offer this week.
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Your new clematis looks to be a winner, Katherine! I find it challenging to oust annuals that are striving to show off, but there are just so many pots that one can buy… Happy planting!
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I hope you’re right about the clematis, March! Yes, the bacopa (sadly) will have to say goodbye, but I’m sure there will be more of it next year. Enjoy your weekend!
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I’m sorry to read you’ve had such adverse conditions for planting. It’s been quite wet here too, but we are happy! Your Bacopa is very sweet. Could it be tucked into the garden somewhere, or won’t it survive the winter? Like many others, I’m envying the clematis. I’ve only planted one here and it has done nothing.
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It looks as though it will be dry on Wednesday – so the bulbs should go in then. I’ve asked husband to put the day aside and we can both work on it. The Bacopa probably would be fine in the greenhouse, but I don’t think there will be room for it – too many other plants will be shivering and looking for a home. Don’t give up on your clematis, plenty of water & feed and it might just surprise you!
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I do enjoy seeing the lovely displays of a variety of berries in your garden! The Cotoneaster horizontalis is just amazingly beautiful! Your Bacopa is still looking great despite it being so close to winter. I too decided to try some this year, and so far so good. It will be interesting to see whether they survive the terribly hot summers we have here. They are really a delightful plant, and well worthwhile having in the garden. I do hope that you are experiencing drier weather this week to allow you to catch up with all the bulb planting!
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Your bacopa should be fine as long as it gets enough water and some shade during the hottest part of the day. I’ve found that it’s an undemanding plant, and hope you can enjoy it as much as I do.
We started planting the bulbs yesterday (Wednesday) and to be honest, it was an awful task as the soil was so heavy & sticky. We didn’t get very many bulbs in the ground, but we’re going back out tomorrow morning and hope that the soil will be a little bit dryer. Fingers crossed. 😁
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Your BACOPA is fab. I was going to get some this year, but with all the Covid restrictions I never did buy the annuals I wanted. Next year hopefully. As for the new clematis, I’m afraid I am not impressed with it. Mine is planted in a pot and on the north facing wall. The flowers get hidden by the foliage and the foliage gets eaten by the snails – who’d have thought it? There is some info about it in this post.
http://cornwallincolours.blog/2020/05/23/six-on-saturday-newbies/
Maybe you’ll have more luck!
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That’s not good news. I was really quite excited about this clematis. This one won’t be on a north-facing wall, and is in the ground – I don’t know if that will make a difference, but in light of your comments, I’ll make sure that it gets regular feeding and I’ll watch out for snails.
I hope yours performs better for you next year.
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I’m a bi skimmia fan,and a big fan of yours also. Mine are both in a large container and doing OK, but I feel I’ll get another one for the ground. I’ve a spot in mind. As you say, it’s great to have winter berries.
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