The End of Days!

No, it is not quite a prophet of doom scenario but it is that time of year in the garden; a time of winding down; of less grass-cutting; of tidying up and adding to the compost heaps and nothing for us marks this more clearly than the decision to lift the dahlia tubers and store them for the winter. Today was the day!

A bright autumn sky as the colours of autumn creep into the trees. 

Long shadows from a low sun and the grass scattered with fallen leaves. 

Quite suddenly, the leaves of the magnolia have fallen

We have come to this day after a difficult summer, one of quite unusual heat and a prolonged period of drought. However, ‘tis an ill wind etc and there is the advantage that the soil is still quite dry and lifting the dahlias this year did not involved working in sticky muddy conditions which are both messy for the gardener and leave the tubers requiring a long drying out period before being stored in dry compost – the used compost from our tomato plants.

There were still a few flowers on the dahlias but they are beginning to be tatty. This one is ‘Happy Flame’ 

Dahlia ‘Gloire van Noordwijk’ looking well in the strong sunshine but the blooms are fading. 

Dahlia ‘Pooh, which performed wonderfully during the summer but it is now time lift and store the tubers for the winter. 

Ready for action – and then I left the work to Mary! 

So, it was an easier job than is usual, with dry conditions in a pleasant warm and sunny day though, as it was interrupted by a large articulated lorry coming to the end of our narrow cul-de-sac and requiring rescuing, much of the work fell to Mary. I suppose it reflects our gardening in general – I take the photographs and write about it while she does the work!

Still looking well: Liriope muscari under Liquidamber styraciflua

And it is the season for nerines – Nerine x bowdenii