What a lovely autumn weather for our Halloween midterm break we had; up until last week!
Young and old could enjoy our first ever Halloween trail; consisting of scarecrows, witches, fairies and arty pieces, all made by local artists, Youthreach and also children from our local scouts club.
Eithne, our Marketing Assistant did a fantastic job on designing the trail and setting it up in all the different locations within the main garden area. I am sure she even dreamed about few pieces…! The trail was well received and it will hopefully happen again next year.

Below are a few of my favourite pieces:

 

One of the main questions visitors would ask us around this time of year before they come into the garden is if there is still something in bloom. Yes there is; given that it is a very late season there are still few summer bedding flowering like Cuphea, Tropaeolum or even Lobelias. On top of these are our Hydrangeas, Persicarias, different types of Fuchsias, the Sedums and Anaphalis (Pearl Everlasting) still in bloom.

The last of the Runner and French Beans are harvested and the climbing supports will have to come down very soon before they will be blown right over the top of the wall. It shows you again how unusual this season was, we never harvested beans so late in the year.

So what else is going on within the four walls of Kylemore gardens? The trees nearly finished shedding their leaves, only oaks and beech trees holding on to them. I know it is part of the yearly cycle but it is also a big relieve since it takes a long time to tidy them up each morning.

Now is also a good time to powerwash all hard surfaces before the winter season hits us. Since we are a public garden with plenty of visitors each day we have to make sure that all paths and steps are save and not slippery. The wet summer means extra moss growth everywhere.
Our original work men’s Bothy behind the garden wall got new windows and a door and will be used to store valuable timber, falling naturally on the grounds. The timber will be used to make new plant labels or furniture or if of less quality as fire wood for the Abbey and the Head Gardeners House.

Our garden cat, nearly 17!, is holding her ground. She is still catching her evening meals herself and is announcing each catch with a very loud miau.

Your Head Gardener
Anja Gohlke
Things you can do in your garden in November:
To Sow / Propagate:
~ Propagate rhubarb by division and replant
~ Pot on plants into new soil and feed if left for long in pots
~ Take cuttings of soft fruits like Currants

To plant:
~ Order and plant bare-rooted trees, shrubs and hedges; until the end of February
~ New roses, also bare-rooted

To harvest:
~ Brussels sprouts, spinach, leaf beet, carrots
~ Curley Kale after first frost
~ Last of apples and pears, check storage for rotten ones on a regular base

To maintain & prune & feed:
~ Clean and store terracotta pots or frost protect if they stay outside
~ Tidy lawns of leaves and debris
~ Power wash surfaces
~ Feed spring cabbages with own liquid comfrey