Glorious autumn, garden re-modelling and winding down for winter

Sunlight in the new woodland garden

Now we are on the home run to closing up for winter. I really cant believe its that time of year already! I think in my head its still July! All the border-line hardy display plants are tucked up in the tunnel and benches and ornaments are away undercover for winter. I've been emptying the sales area tables, putting the plants back in the stock beds and scrubbing the tables down. The wee shop is emptied and a stock take done. I've finished the plant stock take, which will allow me to update the data base and re-do the plant lists on our website. The nursery always looks so bare at this time of year with all the quirky things that give it character away for winter and the sales tables emptied. 

The gardens continue to be full of colour and interest, despite being in what I call their bedraggled autumn stage. The leaf colour on many plants and trees is quite spectacular. I love autumn, its my favourite season and this year its even more beautiful. Many plants have flowered ealier this year because of the continuing warm weather we have. Asters that I normally dont see in flower because we've finished up for winter are in full flower, so I have been enjoying them, I suppose there are some benefits to all this crazy weather!

 More gorgeous autumn colours from the nursery garden

Hydrangea petiolaris

Liquidambar styraciflua

Molinia caerulea subsp. arundinacea 'Windspiel'

Pyracantha 'orange Glow'

Rubus 'Benaden'

Rubus 'Benaden'

Stewartia pseudocamellia

A walk in the scottish hills

I spent last week stock taking ALL the plants we have in stock, then I can update our plant lists for next year and share with you all the great plants we will have available in 2023

Getting the stock take done

Another autumn task is to get the nets on the ponds in the nursery gardens. This stops as many leaves as possible getting in and building up on the bottom of the pond. The fish are still quiet active as the weather continues to stay warm.

Meanwhile on my day off I'm still gardening! I got back to finishing this border that I started a couple of weeks ago in my front garden. I lifted the 5 slabs I unearthed under the crocosmia last time, dug over the soil and added in 4 bags of top soil to improve planting conditions. I re-aligned the stones to re-shape both ends and planted some of my shade loving plants and some daffodils. Great to get a lovely day to complete this border and some time in my own garden, cant believe I can say that lol

Plants in this border:

Actaea rubra

Aguga reptans 'Caitlins Giant'

Alchemilla erythropoda

Anemone blanda 'White Splendour'

Anemone x hybrida 'Konigan Charlotte'

Arisarum proboscidium

Aruncus 'Woldemar Meier

Bergenia 'David'

Dryopteris dilitata

Epimedium grandiflorum 'Queen Esta'

Epimedium x versicolor 'Discolor'

Helleborus double spotted

Helleborus own seedling

Narcissus 'Dutch master'

Narcissus 'Mount Hood'

Uvularia grandiflora

I had a poke about at the slabs in the next bit I'm going to tackle ..... concreted down, hmmmmmm

Maisie inspecting the slabs before they get lifted

yes they are ready to move Mum!

Slabs lifted, ready for forking over the soil

New top soil added

Lunch in the sun

Planted up, hard to see the plants but they are there 

After a busy few hours re configuring and planting up another bit of the front garden Maisie and I went for a walk. We are so lucky to have been able to get a house in Peebles and have this beautiful scenery two minutes from our house. The autumn colours are fantastic this year. We walked along the south side of the River Tweed to the Neidpath Viaduct, across it and then back home along the north bank of the the river.

I make absolutely no apologies for the autumn colour spam coming your way in this post. I love autumn, and this autumn is particularly joyful. After a visit to my hairdresser in Biggar I swung round by Dawyck to visit a clients garden at Wester Dawyck to get an idea of the space to suggest plants for. I stopped off at Dawyck Botanic gardens for some lunch and a wander around the gardens, free when you are a friend of the Botanics The gardens always look stunning but this autumn more so. Home via the boring domestic chores of food shopping, so lucky to have these gardens and beautiful landscapes on our door step Back to work for a rest after a busy two days off

Acer palmatum

Acer palmatum

Acer palmatum

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