The Fall of Autumn Time

Dear Readers,

Like any old, faithful dog, here I am back. I missed your company and I do hope you will start visiting me again to discuss your garden problems, garden philosophy and garden dreams.

It is not only the writer that is in her Autumn years and fast approaching Winter time. Tasmanian gardens are also galloping to the colder months. For several years our seasons gave become blurred, Winters have become mild, we have been enjoying temperatures not greatly different from those enjoyed in Spring. Our Spring time rains have not eventuated and rainfall averages have dropped to record readings. We have been blaming the global warming effects that are taking place in the hemisphere at such an alarming rate. But the last year records show a return to the conditions I remember as a young girl growing up in our beautiful island. Spring was full of rain storms, with following sunny days. Summer was spasmodic [like the writer], hot days preceding winter-like temperatures. Now our Autumn is rather dry with a few wind gales of over 100ks strength, lasting for maybe half an hour, scattering the Autumn tinted leaves to the four corners of the Earth. It seems to me that the god of weather is very angry with mankind. And who am I to blame him/her?

After the glorious Autumn colours experienced last year, it would appear that our Acers, Rowans, Chinese and scarlet and golden Elms, Fothergillas, Cherries, Cornus, Gleditsias, Enkianthus, and many other deciduous ornamental plants are just teasing me this year. The remaining leaves cling on, a little crispy brown on the edges as if they are waiting, hopefully, for calmer days before starting their real picture show. Since my retirement from the Suite, we have had a lot of visitors from International gardeners and the mainland of Australia. I think they thought that I was also retiring from the country garden and I so hoped that I could fondly share with them the lovely display that usually delights at Fall time in our garden. The best laid plans of mice and men ****!

I cannot complain about the Hydrangeas and only bless them for covering themselves with blue, steel grey, pink, scarlet, white and purple blooms. Kees, my husband and co-gardener is not very fond of these blousy members of our gardens. I argue that there is no other bush that flowers for so long, giving welcome colour in a quiet period in our garden and for such a long period of time. Apart from the pleasant chore of pruning the now large bushes, [cut back to the strongest looking buds that are shooting on opposite sides of the branch] I know of no other more accommodating plant. Don't forget to keep some cuttings, making sure you have some hard wood on the sticks, to make new plants to give as presents or place the rooted plant in a semi-shaded part of your garden.

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