Some of the days in November carry the whole memory of summer as a fire opal carries the color of moon rise.” – Gladys Taber
October shot past in a haze of yellow light, steel grey rain and activity in the back garden. For half that month I was engaged in more hard manual labour with some further landscaping tasks, including completing the glassing of the greenhouse (see ‘Stepping down‘). It means the tender pelargoniums can be kept out of harms way in winter. So too this Oxalis which I saved from near death after forgetting it last winter!
November has seen the hostas fade and die back and of course the Acers, which are some of Autumn’s divas, are going out with a bang. The sei-ryu maple has been autumnal since late summer but only now has Acer Trompenburg caught fire.
I bought some mini chrysanths to flower alongside Gazanias. I’ve never liked these gaudy plants much till now and though they struggle for sun, are still giving pizazz to the front garden dais, along with all the salvias. Also, I’m struck by how all the fuchsias are doing much better this time of year than in the summer. Back in London this was due to capsid bug attacks but this far north it seems these plants prefer it cooler and wetter.
I do have a few evergreens to see me though winter including sarcococcas, osmanthus, and euonymous but am wondering why this Japanese umbrella pine is yellowing – I hope it is not in permanent decline!
Already I am planning how to convert the front dais into a cottage style. The Japanese style plants once moved will leave significant gaps and so I intend to replace them with something similar – a small potted tree, a large decidious shrub and lots of old-fashioned voluptious froth. To that end I am drawing up a wishlist and will be including it in the plant register very soon!
…Until then, see you in the Spring !
Take a scrolling stroll through the Derbyshire Dais garden in October/November
the Derbyshire dais in late Autumn 
Acer sei-ryu at my window 
…and now 2 weeks later 
failing to flower but Japanese hydrangeas do Autumn colour 
fading to green, hydrange macrophylla 
a gift of strawberry plants full of red promise 
Empress Wu hosta regal in death 
my noisette climber still blushing 
young fuchsia ‘hawkshead’ fully flowering 
understated hues of mini chrysanthemums 
bold as brass Gazanias 
a bargain buy I may regret- cyclamen persicum 
buttery wallflowers with all the promise of Spring
My Japanesque Garden 
Wow! That Acer sei-ryu is fabulous! And those Salvias in the front. So much colour still in October.
and only just going past now – I shall be rearranging the pots soon and that will show me if I have enough winter plants (the backbone of any planting scheme) to make the months ahead feel that all is not dead on the dais!
Does this dais get a lot of sun? I need to rethink my courtyard (which is container gardening) but it rarely gets any sun although it’s not particularly dark.
it does get afternoon sun – although it faces North along its length, there is obviously a west end and that is the sunniest. It’s very open and being against the annexe must be relatively warm and sheltered