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At this time of the year the garden wants a right-good seeing-to, as they say in Yorkshire. Most plants are past it now, and are on their last-flowering legs. They have flopped over - sprawled out and died back. The weather has been prohibitive these last few days and not much has been done that desperately needs doing. No excuses I know - but when it gets to autumn, I feel all gardened-out. Should I just leave it to Mother Nature to sort it out, she's been doing it without our help all along, after all? If we left our lawns alone, would they automatically become a meadow?
Shall we let the seedlings seed where they will, the result will probably be far more natural than with our manipulations. What about no pruning - bushes and shrubs left to run riot to be covered in flowers next year ... I'm all for that. Should we pull out the plants that are struggling, they will never come good however much tlc you give them, and replace them with wild flowers that will flourish. Are you getting my drift?
I'm all for a natural-looking garden, that looks as if it's meant to be there, that is what I try to achieve, but which is quite difficult to do. I should think most gardens have plants that originated from all four corners of the world, how different they would look if we just used native plants, but these are what we call weeds - so that will never do, would it?
But then we wouldn't be gardeners would we - we would just be caretakers, standing on the sidelines watching, whilst Nature takes her course. Maybe a little tweeking here and there would be enough to keep the garden looking good. Of course, come next spring, when I have my gardening head on again all this laid-back attitude will be gone out of the window and I will take charge and force my will on the garden. Oh well - it was just a thought!
see the latest post at my new blog http://elaineintheslowlane.blogspot.com/
The weather here is switching rapidly backwards and forwards between bright skies and rain-falling-in-a-lump - as if a water butt has been tipped upside down right over one's head. All very impractical.
ReplyDeleteO yes Elaine, Mother Nature every time, she is the best gardener and there is not point in fighting her!! Anyway we are always in a better gardening mood come Spring, love the photos very atmospheric:~)
ReplyDeleteI smiled as I read this as it's very much how I feel at this time of year. Flighty xx
ReplyDeleteI know how you feel. I often am tired out by now and look forward to the rest.
ReplyDeleteSuch an evocative photo - making me really look forward to more autumn sunshine
ReplyDeleteUgh. I'm kind of not looking forward to the right-good seeing-to part of fall gardening. We still have gardening weather but I'm ready for a break! Seems like you're getting a break, too.
ReplyDeleteJust as I was saying in my head, "Oh Elaine" from reading this post, I see that another reader has said the same! Oh Elaine....makes me want to rush outside and catch the garden waning. With a new puppy in residence, my garden is nodding without my even noticing - must go take a look!
ReplyDeleteI do find excuses to leave well alone, such as the seeds are for the birds, grasses for winter interest etc. So our garden gets left until late winter apart from pruning the buddleias and tidying the veg garden after the chooks have been out and about. I'm sure some people would be horrified at us not doing a complete tidy up!
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