AN OCTOBER TRILOGY
‘Fresh October brings the pheasant,
Then to gather nuts is pleasant.’
(Sara Coleridge, 1802-52)
BURGEONING BEGONIAS
Well, sorry Sara, but we won’t be discussing nuts this month because we talked about them last year. We won’t be talking about pheasants either. I leave that stuff to Trevor Beer and company. Instead, I shall be discussing something strange for an autumn column, Begonias.
Now normally, as a wildlife gardener, I wouldn’t give plants like begonias a second thought, but I was stunned when on a visit to my brother and sister in law (Gerald and Marian Ley) in late August, I saw the power of their colour and proliferation (see photo.)
I wouldn’t grow them but there’s no reason why you shouldn’t. The begonias in the photograph are the tuberous cultivars. They are extremely popular all around the world as bedding and greenhouse flowers. One of the plus points they have is that they are perennial, and if well looked after over the winter you can have the show again year after year.
There is a tremendous variety of flower types too. They range from tiny flowers just half an inch across to the enormous exhibition types with flowers fully the size of dinner plates.
They possess a variety of growing habits as well. There are the pendula cultivars, which as their name suggests are trailing. These are great for hanging baskets and window boxes. In the right conditions, they can reach three feet long and are covered in masses of single or double flowers all summer long. They can be a little sun-shy so they prefer dappled shade and moist conditions to thrive. The multiflora cultivars, such as those in the photograph, are much bushier and only reach about a foot tall. This branch of the family prefers full sun and, if you give it to them, will reward you for it.
Another variety of begonia you will be familiar with will be the semperflorens cultivars. These small, bushy, evergreen begonias are popular with the council parks departments as bedding displays. They have been a stalwart component for gardeners since Victorian times too. Their stems are soft and succulent and if broken, tend to ‘bleed,’ although no lasting harm will come to them. The leaves are small and round coming in green, bronze, and variegated. The flowers can be single or double.
The real show-offs of the begonia family are the Rex begonias. Rather than being tuberous or fibrous rooted, these are rhizomatous. Generally grown as houseplants, begonia rex sacrifices flowers for glorious multicoloured leaves, which come in virtually every shade and pattern and sometimes, can be quite large. A fun way to propagate these cultivars is to use those magnificent leaves as leaf cuttings. They are also perfect for adorning a conservatory. When watering though, make sure that no water stays on the leaves or botrytis may take hold.
NEW GARDEN
On September the 1st, Evelyn and I visited East Woodlands at Alverdiscott. It’s a new garden opening for the first time this year in aid of the National Garden Scheme. It was a great afternoon out.
Richard and Ann Harding have worked tirelessly over seven years to convert a one-acre field into a magnificent wildlife friendly paradise (see photo.) Built on the side of a hill, it is terraced with lawns, and meandering gravel and grass paths. Thoughtful planting of bamboos and tall wispy grasses create attractive punctuations during the garden walk.
As in all good design, the garden is not visible all at once. Following the paths, the garden slowly reveals itself as though taking layers of wrapping off a present. There is plenty of seating arranged so that the visitor can take the weight off their feet and enjoy the views, and the views of the rolling Devon countryside are spectacular.
The day was warm and sunny and consequently we were treated to the buzzing of insects, bees, and the fluttering brilliance of butterflies galore. The gloriously majestic Eupatorium purpureum (Joe Pye Weed) and the late summer superstar of the insect world, the Sedum Spectabile (Ice Plant) was teeming with all of them.
I came away inspired. It caused me to think about my garden and, do you know, I reckon I’m going to give my garden a bit of a revamp!
ODD VEGETABLE TIME
Finally, for time to time we discuss the odd shaped vegetable. Well, this month it’s a carrot from my garden (see photo.) I broadcast a packet of carrot seed called Rainbow Mixed, so called because the carrots are of various colours ranging from orange, deep purple, yellow, white, and so forth. Normally carrots are quite straight forward, wide at the top and narrow at the bottom. Umm, not this one though. You’ve no doubt heard of the hose in hose primulas where one flower has another growing within it; well this carrot is root in root. One root seems to be growing into another root. Do you have any weird vegetable photos you want to share with Bideford Post readers? Please send them in.
“Remember, always work with nature, and don’t fight it.”
Until we meet again next month, happy gardening!
You can contact me on [email protected]
You can visit my website at cherrytrees.weebly.com
‘Fresh October brings the pheasant,
Then to gather nuts is pleasant.’
(Sara Coleridge, 1802-52)
BURGEONING BEGONIAS
Well, sorry Sara, but we won’t be discussing nuts this month because we talked about them last year. We won’t be talking about pheasants either. I leave that stuff to Trevor Beer and company. Instead, I shall be discussing something strange for an autumn column, Begonias.
Now normally, as a wildlife gardener, I wouldn’t give plants like begonias a second thought, but I was stunned when on a visit to my brother and sister in law (Gerald and Marian Ley) in late August, I saw the power of their colour and proliferation (see photo.)
I wouldn’t grow them but there’s no reason why you shouldn’t. The begonias in the photograph are the tuberous cultivars. They are extremely popular all around the world as bedding and greenhouse flowers. One of the plus points they have is that they are perennial, and if well looked after over the winter you can have the show again year after year.
There is a tremendous variety of flower types too. They range from tiny flowers just half an inch across to the enormous exhibition types with flowers fully the size of dinner plates.
They possess a variety of growing habits as well. There are the pendula cultivars, which as their name suggests are trailing. These are great for hanging baskets and window boxes. In the right conditions, they can reach three feet long and are covered in masses of single or double flowers all summer long. They can be a little sun-shy so they prefer dappled shade and moist conditions to thrive. The multiflora cultivars, such as those in the photograph, are much bushier and only reach about a foot tall. This branch of the family prefers full sun and, if you give it to them, will reward you for it.
Another variety of begonia you will be familiar with will be the semperflorens cultivars. These small, bushy, evergreen begonias are popular with the council parks departments as bedding displays. They have been a stalwart component for gardeners since Victorian times too. Their stems are soft and succulent and if broken, tend to ‘bleed,’ although no lasting harm will come to them. The leaves are small and round coming in green, bronze, and variegated. The flowers can be single or double.
The real show-offs of the begonia family are the Rex begonias. Rather than being tuberous or fibrous rooted, these are rhizomatous. Generally grown as houseplants, begonia rex sacrifices flowers for glorious multicoloured leaves, which come in virtually every shade and pattern and sometimes, can be quite large. A fun way to propagate these cultivars is to use those magnificent leaves as leaf cuttings. They are also perfect for adorning a conservatory. When watering though, make sure that no water stays on the leaves or botrytis may take hold.
NEW GARDEN
On September the 1st, Evelyn and I visited East Woodlands at Alverdiscott. It’s a new garden opening for the first time this year in aid of the National Garden Scheme. It was a great afternoon out.
Richard and Ann Harding have worked tirelessly over seven years to convert a one-acre field into a magnificent wildlife friendly paradise (see photo.) Built on the side of a hill, it is terraced with lawns, and meandering gravel and grass paths. Thoughtful planting of bamboos and tall wispy grasses create attractive punctuations during the garden walk.
As in all good design, the garden is not visible all at once. Following the paths, the garden slowly reveals itself as though taking layers of wrapping off a present. There is plenty of seating arranged so that the visitor can take the weight off their feet and enjoy the views, and the views of the rolling Devon countryside are spectacular.
The day was warm and sunny and consequently we were treated to the buzzing of insects, bees, and the fluttering brilliance of butterflies galore. The gloriously majestic Eupatorium purpureum (Joe Pye Weed) and the late summer superstar of the insect world, the Sedum Spectabile (Ice Plant) was teeming with all of them.
I came away inspired. It caused me to think about my garden and, do you know, I reckon I’m going to give my garden a bit of a revamp!
ODD VEGETABLE TIME
Finally, for time to time we discuss the odd shaped vegetable. Well, this month it’s a carrot from my garden (see photo.) I broadcast a packet of carrot seed called Rainbow Mixed, so called because the carrots are of various colours ranging from orange, deep purple, yellow, white, and so forth. Normally carrots are quite straight forward, wide at the top and narrow at the bottom. Umm, not this one though. You’ve no doubt heard of the hose in hose primulas where one flower has another growing within it; well this carrot is root in root. One root seems to be growing into another root. Do you have any weird vegetable photos you want to share with Bideford Post readers? Please send them in.
“Remember, always work with nature, and don’t fight it.”
Until we meet again next month, happy gardening!
You can contact me on [email protected]
You can visit my website at cherrytrees.weebly.com