Everything In Reverse

The beautiful vitis coignetiae showing its autumn colours

The clocks go back tonight, and our work in the garden today reflected the swing back towards darker days. Now instead of planting, sowing and planning begins the task of cutting back, protecting and tidying. We started with the Salvias, as many are not reliably hardy those we wished to keep for next year had to be potted on and stored somewhere frost free for the winter. It seemed strange digging up plants that were still in full bloom because of the mild weather, but we are on a tight schedule and if we don't get a move on the winter conditions could catch us out and we could fall quickly behind. One plant in particular was looking splendid, Salvia confertiflora is very late flowering and doesn't often perform well if our weather turns harsh early on, but this year has suited it well and it is positively glowing.

We are warned that Monday could be a bit on the wild side with a storm forecast by the papers and weather reporters, whether that will come true remains to be seen, but as I've lost two working days already this month I suspect we will be making the best of it at Norton as ever!

"Then come the wild weather, come sleet or come snow, we will stand by each other however it blow"
Simon Dach