What have you done in the garden today? Part 3

[ThreeRingCircus]

The old thread was filling up so I've created a new one!

Link to old thread: https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/gardening/4823202-what-have-you-done-in-the-garden-today-part-2?reply=128367673

Thats the minor tragedy of dahlias - one of the best for autumn flowers and then wham, they're down. Whereabouts are you, mine (just undistinguished but cheerful 'bedding' ones) are still ok in Lancashire and I was admiring some lovely ones at Sizergh Castle in south cumbria yesterday.

We’ve had our first, minor frost. I have a couple of cannas which still haven’t flowered and I’m still hoping they will before the frost gets them.

Minor frost here too, also been holding my breath for the cannas. They were late recovering from last winter, in fact I was amazed that they did. I put them in the shed last winter but I don’t think I’ll bother this year.

Isn’t autumn funny this year. My Facebook memories from this time last year are full of DH’s acers giving a magnificent autumnal display. This year, most haven’t begun to turn but a few have gone straight to brown and crinkly and dropped all their leaves.
Maybe now we’ve had a bit of frost the colours will begin to show.

Yes, I noticed while we were driving along the M6 yesterday a mix of still very green trees and totally bare trees.

I had a random oriental poppy flower a couple of weeks ago, I suppose it's not that uncommon to get the odd unseasonal hiccup but that was unexpected!

I haven’t decided what to do with the cannas over winter. The big one in a pot in the front garden will stay there, but I’m dithering about the smaller ones bought this year. Usually, I’d put the pots in a sheltered place but, as you say BestIsWest, that makes them very slow to get going in the spring. I might dig them out and store them dry indoors.

See what you mean by the asymmetrical leaf bases, but the bark looks like cherry with those horizontal lines

Round here, Bergenia and Rosemary. Neither are plants which usually have an autumn flush the way primroses do

Thanks guys, would be lovely if it was cherry ❤️

@ErrolTheDragon We are in Northumberland.

Ah, right! Frosts always hit us earlier when we lived in North Yorkshire vs here in Lancashire, presumably Northumberland typically moreso.

I've struggled with my borders, planted things that are too tall in the front and too short at the back. I've found a company that do borders on a roll , and I'm very tempted. It means I've got to dig up the plants that are already there but I'd love a gorgeous well laid out border.

I had a tree surgeon round to look at the giant cypress (a lelandi apparently) and he confirmed it is a wild cherry. Can't wait to see it in flower. This is the lelandi which needs some branches taken off as they're destroying the shed roof

I also have a silver birch which is one of my favourite trees

Try again with the pic

That silver birch is lovely!

Thank you, tree surgeon says it's in perfect condition. The garden was the main pull for buying this house. Now need to train our spaniel not to dig the plants up or eat them 🙈

Help! Am I too late to plant daffodil bulbs? Just found a bag of bulbs I bought and haven’t planted them yet…

No, not too late! Plant them now in the ground or in a pot and they’ll be fine, although if your ground is waterlogged you might even want to wait a little while for it to drain.

Today I collected my free dwarf apple tree - local council were giving away 300 to local residents. I've chosen a Jonagold - anyone have any experience of that variety?

This thread is such a tonic! I am glad it's not just me who loves violas. @APurpleSquirrel, I've never grown Jonagold, but what a lovely project from your council!

I've been neglecting my garden again because the plant nursery where I work is busy. At work we've been planting trillium bulbs and I am so excited because they have the best common names - they sound great fun! At home I've picked all 20-odd quinces from my three-year-old quince tree, and I was delighted. I staked the tree very badly, though, so it developed a pronounced lean. Any ideas how to rectify that?!

I'm in the middle of planting tulips/daffodils, and trying to resist buying more than I can manage.

You are not too late and possibly even on the early side. Daffodils cope with being planted before now, but some spring bulbs will be susceptible to disease if you plant in warm soil (tulips, above all). All but the very earliest daffodils will actively prefer being planted into the colder soil now, rather than warmer soil a few weeks ago.

Apples are generally not self fertile, so you need another variety nearby to pollinate the flowers if you want fruit. Jonagold is a triploid variety which means not only does it need a pollinator, it can’t reciprocate by pollinating the pollinator. Hopefully one of your neighbours has a suitable apple or crabapple pollinator.

@MereDintofPandiculation thanks - some neighbours have crab apple trees plus I'm going to get one too. I've heard they're the best for pollination as they have such a long flowering time.

Which one are you going for? There's so many varieties nowadays. When I as growing up I was aware only of John Downie and Golden Hornet.

There's more weeping varieties too. Ours is Red Jade, which is stunning in spring, but the apples are tiny, not much more than peas sized. Blackbirds love them. I think there's now weeping varieties with larger apples.