Coping With The Onslaught Of Leaves

9th November 2016

The autumn leaf fall has been fairly steady since the deciduous trees started their annual leaf drop. The frosts have been few and far between and, with the winds being light, the drop has been controlled and manageable for the team to keep the paths, hard landscaped areas and lawns clear. 

14th November 2016 (8:30 in the morning)

However, these perfect conditions have started to change this week as the overnight temperatures have dropped, the wind speed has increased as well as it constantly changing direction, the fun Mother Nature seems to have with the leaves has begun in earnest! On Monday morning the team were met by the results of a weekend of heavy leaf fall around the college grounds so began by working together to clear the Nuffield lawn of its leafy covering, but due to the sodden soil were unable to go on to the lawn with the ride-on mower to mow them up so had to rake them up instead. (Wherever possible the preferred method of leaf collecting on grass is by the ride-on mower as the blades chop the leaves up in to tiny pieces that rot down faster in the leaf pits and create a better quality of leaf mould.)

Leaf Piles

Leaf Collecting Equipment

Unloading

One Of The Many Leaf Pits

14th November 2016 (4:00 in the afternoon)

By late afternoon, having spent the day clearing leaves, the gardens were again being covered by a colourful layer of autumn tones, the team, all the while knowing that leaf clearance will be their main activity for days and possibly for months to come as they cope with the daily onslaught of leaves until they are all down. The trick to coping with the deluge is not to look back to the area that has just been cleared, keep going forward on to the next area, looking behind can be so disheartening! With the first of this winter's named storms, Storm Angus, due to hit the UK this weekend, Sunday through to Monday, the team know that next week will be much the same as this, raking up leaves.

15th November 2016 (8:00 in the morning 24 hours later)

16th November 2016 (48 hours later)

16th November 2016 (48 hours later)

Beech Tree Autumn Colour

Sun Light Filtering Through The Branches

A Thick Layer Of Colourful Autumn Leaves

Delayed By Pollinating Insects

3rd November 2016, Partial Shade Border

The herbaceous border is split in to two sections, one section is in full sun and the other in partial shade. A few weeks ago the decision was made to cut down the section that is in partial shade as most of the plants had finished flowering and the border was starting to look rather shabby. Before the cutting down could begin the birch plant supports had to be removed and taken down to the chipping pile ready for chipping. Once cleared of the wooden supports the team, using hedge trimmers, worked their way along the border cutting the herbaceous plants down to ground level. The cut down material was then raked off from the border and put in to the waiting trailer for transporting to one of the compost pits where it will be mixed in with some of this years autumn leaf fall and grass cuttings. 

Cut Down

Herbaceous Border, Full Sun Section

Today, two weeks later, the sunny section of the border has been cut down, the reason for the delay was down to the pollinating insects. The team had noticed that, in this unseasonably warm November, many pollinating insects were still visiting the flowers so decided to delay the cut back whilst they continued to feast on the flowers and the vital food source they provide . The weather has now changed, the temperatures have dropped and the insects gone so today the sunny side of the border was cut down. Both borders will be mulched with leaf mould in the coming weeks as soon as the wisteria leaves have stopped dropping on to them.

15th November 2016, Full Sun Section

Cut Down, Waiting For A Mulch (Wisteria Still In Full Leaf)

Autumn Colour Spectacle

An Autumn Rainbow

In the college grounds the leaves on the deciduous trees are putting on quite a colourful spectacle this autumn as their foliage changes colour. Not to be outdone, the sky put on its own display today with a colourful spectacle of its own, a rainbow during a short, heavy downpour this afternoon. Arching over the greenhouse, as the sky got darker and the rain heavier, the colours in the rainbow got stronger and brighter, a sight not seen too often during this dry autumn but very much appreciated.

Autumn Leaves

12 Stalagmites Rising From The Floor

Hardy Banana Plants, Musa basjoo

With the overnight temperatures forecast to drop below zero in the next few days it is time to wrap the hardy banana plants, Musa basjoo. Unwrapped from their winter protection in the middle of May, see blog entry 16th May 'The Bananas, The Harbinger Of Summer', their wrapping heralds the start of winter for the gardening team.

Bending the Giant Leaves Down

The horticultural fleece, carefully folded and packed away ready for its reuse, is brought out from storage. The plants have grown taller than last year but can still be reached from the top of the tall tripod ladder. Before the fleece is wrapped around each plant the giant leaves are bent around the trunk and tied in place to provide a natural protection against any freezing temperatures. Additional protection is then added with the use of the fleece as a blanket around the plants. By the end of the wrapping session an assortment of different sized columns, 12 in total, looking like stalagmites rising from the floor have appeared on the herbaceous border. (The banana plant that produced a flower this year, see blog entry 5th September 'Banana In Flower Again', has been cut down rather than being wrapped as it will die after flowering, new small replacements, pups, have already been produced by the dying plant.)

12 Stalagmites Rising From The Floor

September's Cuttings Have Rooted

Rooted Cuttings

Nearly 700 cuttings were taken during September and many have begun to show signs that they have rooted successfully, some quicker than others, the fastest growing were removed from the mist unit a few weeks ago. 

Plectranthus argentatus 'Silver Shield'

Over the last few days the best of the rooted cuttings have been carefully removed from their pots, 5-10 cuttings in each pot depending on the size of cutting material, and gently teased apart to separate them.

Salvia cacaliifolia

Each tiny plant was potted up in to their own individual pot, placed in rows on the staging and watered in. As they outgrow these small pots they will be repotted in to the next size and, as in previous years, will be repotted for one final time before they are moved out of the heated greenhouse to the unheated greenhouse for hardening off, a process for acclimatising the young plants for the outdoors before they are planted out in the gardens next summer.   

Cuttings On The Staging

Pyramids And Lollipops

Oak Containers Winter 2015/2016 Display

26th May 2016 Oak Containers At The Start Of Summer

14th September 2016 Oak Containers At The End Of Summer

From 'Pelargonium Aplenty' on the 26th May to today's planting of the evergreens, the summer display has been removed from the oak containers in the Besse Courtyard and replaced with the winter evergreen display of pyramids and lollipops.

Pelargonium Aplenty

Removing The Summer Display

Lots of cuttings have already been taken from the many pelargonium that made up this years summer display so, apart from one of each variety that have returned to the greenhouse as stock plants, all the rest have been removed and taken to the compost heap. The black succulents, Aeonium arboreum Schwarzkopf' were also taken to the greenhouse for winter storage.

All Change

Empty

Once the oak containers had been emptied of plants the soil was forked through to remove old roots and leaf debris, checked for vine weevil grubs, then topped up with fresh multipurpose compost ready for planting.

Evergreens Stored In The Heeling In Area Since May

The plants that will create this year's winter display have been in storage in the heeling in area since they were removed in May and have been waiting patiently for their return appearance. The bay pyramids and lollipops, New Zealand Flax, Vibernum and black grass were dug up and taken to the courtyard for the display to be created.

Planting Up The Containers

This winter the seven containers will remain in a cluster in the centre of the courtyard, different from last year's display when only five were used in a line, see first photograph above.  

Pyramid And Lollipops

In addition to the evergreens and foliage plants 100 Tulips 'White Marvel' and a dozen Wallflower 'Sunset Primrose' have been planted to add a splash of colour in May next year.

25Kg Bag Of Daffodils, Narcissus 'Ice Follies'

Ready To Plant, Daffodils And Spades

Where a lime tree once stood 25kg of daffodils (approx. 425) were planted today. The daffodils chosen, Narcissus 'Ice Follies', are large cupped, flowering in March, white with a pale yellow crown that changes to creamy white with age and are good for naturalising.

Where A Lime Tree Once Stood

25kg (approx. 425) Bag Of Daffodils, Narcissus 'Ice Follies'

Planting Bulbs

To achieve a more natural look the bulbs are scattered randomly across the area and planted where they fell. The team worked together digging the holes and planting the bulbs, completing the task in just a few hours, they must now wait until March to see this newly created bulb area in flower.

The Bag Is Empty

The Newly Planted Bulb Area