I've been fascinated by these service trees (Sorbus torminalis) over the past week. We planted them 10 years ago to create a wind break on the very open area next to the car park, this they are now doing very well, though it took them about 7 years to finally start growing, and as trees do they then took off and have really grown.
Anyhoo I digress, why are you fascinated I hear you ask, or maybe not...... the three trees on the nursery side of the stream are still green but the three on the car park side have turned autumnal colours already, one is yellow, one is orange and one is deep orange.
I think this is probably due to the soil conditions and that its drier on the carpark side. There is very little soil in this narrow strip between the stream and concrete where the carpark starts and this will certainly impact the plants, though it hasn't had any effect on their growth. Nature is always interesting and keeps us on our toes.
As you can see in the photo, green ones on the left, autumn colours on the right
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| On the beach - Ink and wash |
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That long silvery slither of rock
In the early autumn sun
Next stop Newfoundland or Greenland
The steel grey waters chop and churn
White crests the waves against the tide line
Gulls wheel overhead, porpoises play in the ferry wash
Another rain shower drifts over
Rainbows glint as the sun glitters over the water
I am back on that silvery slither of rock
Eilean Cholla
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Rona Dodds September 2025
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Picking apples at the weekend and found some ladybirds couried in for winter  |
Sneak peak of the first page of October in my journal. I'm really pleased with how the conker turned out
Abstract landscapes in 4 colours - cream, indigo, turquoise and sap green and sparkly stars!
Glorious autumn in the nursery gardens over the last week
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Misty journeys to work this week including a fogbow and today it is so still, no wind at all, its almost too still..........
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An attempt to create a 16th century Caravaggio-like still life
It’s that time of year, time for my annual autumn display and I will admit I’ve outdone myself this year! A supersized display of autumn abundance from the garden and woodland (and the supermarket for the squashed lol) Conkers, acorns, fir cones, leaves and autumn flowers alongside the pumpkins and squashes which will be made into soup (no waste here) and the conkers and acorns will be sown in the nursery to grow some trees.
Another busy week making the most of the unusually dry weather now we are almost half way through October and with only two and a bit weeks to go until we close for winter. It has been lovely to enjoy the perfect autumn days of cold starts and sunny warm days to tick off all those jobs we never get around to earlier in the year 
Isabel has started the stock take, a very important job as you can imagine after a busy year and all the plants we’ve propagated over the months. The tunnels are done and this coming week she will start on the field stock beds and behind the office. Once done I can update the database and then the website and send off our entry to the RHS plant finder 
Fiona and I tackled some of the tree and hedging jobs on Saturday which included staking some of the thuya and copper beech hedging which had a bit of a lean on them improving the line of both hedges, this is ineviatable in our windy site. We also lifted the canopy of the service trees down by the entrance and improved their shape. Now they have finally started growing I want to get them shaped up early on and create space underneath for the perennials planted below. We also installed the irrigation into tunnel 4 and stock took the wee shop items in storage – a busy day along with all our lovely customers keeping us busy 
The ponds have had their nets put on to keep leaves out, the wee library has been emptied and some new grasses planted in the gardens. Some over grown borders have been thinned out and Shannon has thinned out lots of the Crocosmia 'Lucifer' and potted them up for selling next year and the box balls have all had a haircut. I held our seed saving work shop which was a great success and everyone went away with a packet of seeds and I’ve collected the last of the seeds from the garden I wanted to store. I also replaced some of the less straight hazel edges in the herb garden borders with nice new straight branches and replaces some of the “Y’s” that support them, much tidier. I also cleared the area around our dead hedge which customers can really see as its behind the scenes and I’ll do a separate post on that hopefully this week 
Whew! Anyone else tired, I know I am and ready for my holiday. We still have bulbs for sale and there is still plenty colour in the nursery gardens if you are looking for autumn inspiration. We are open Wednesday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm until 26th October. Hope to see you before then 
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An autumn visit to Dawyck for lunch and a walk around the gardens on Monday
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