Moors Meadow Open Gardens and Nursery - Bromyard

This Month

This Month October 2023 - Tuesday, 26 Sep 2023

Where has September gone? I feel like I have slept through it even though I have been very busy, far too busy, yet slowly slipping behind with my work plus it has been that time of year when I have to make decisions about NGS charity open days for next year and if I am doing any events. Watch this space for more details. If I do an event it will be for St. Michael’s Hospice at a time when the garden is looking very colourful. I have a date in mind and a few ideas of interest to add to the day but these need further thought before I say more. It is tiring putting on such events and I don’t know how many more I will have the energy to do so when the day is announced put it in your diary as I hope it will be an extra special one, 2024 is the 40th anniversary of the hospice.
Back to the garden in October and I am hoping for a few dry days to knuckle down to serious work as on days like today, whether it is mizzly or chucking it down, it is difficult to get on with things and I still have a little planting out to do as well as cutting back some of the perennials.
I had a weekend off to go to Leeds where a friend was performing his one-man play in the Varieties Music Hall, where they used to hold the Good Old Days, lovely theatre. I agreed to be in control of the sound effects for the play on the promise I could visit a garden on the way up and back. The play was very good, he was also asked to unveil a blue plaque to commemorate Pablo Franque. We stopped for a walk around an arboretum and nursery and I just had enough space to squeeze two plants in his car which was brilliant as I found two that I had never seen before. I bought Hydrangea arborescence Emerald Lace for its dark green fern-like leaves rather than the white lace-cap flower heads. Rhus aromatica Grow Low has three-lobed leaves and clusters of scented yellowish-green flowers in late spring which are good for bees and butterflies. When established it may produce red berries in summer which are popular with birds. In autumn the leaves turn orange, purple and red before falling. It will only reach 2 - 2.5ft (60 - 80cm) but has a spread of 6 - 8ft (2 - 3m), I am planting it in the area above the sunken garden so than when seated nearby there is still a good view looking down and over it.
Mid to late October is usually the best time for the autumn colour but as I look out of the window onto a dark wet day it is too soon to say how good they will be this year. I am desperate to be outside but there is no point in this weather as I would get cold and wet very quickly with little achieved. I do dislike housework! Oh well, tomorrow looks a better day.
I have been planting a lot of different Hemerocallis (Day Lily) but nearly every time I dig a hole I discover bulbs so it is taking much longer as I have to replant the bulbs elsewhere where there isn’t already other bulbs, not an easy thing. Thinking of bulbs, a group of us are planting in Bromyard churchard to make it more attractive and we welcome any donations of perennials, bulbs and shrubs without a budget to cover them.
I better get back to the vacuum cleaner and duster and move the spiders around a bit!

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