Any doubts about it being Autumn have been thrown out the window. Cool, misty mornings and a promise of the end to daylight savings are proof positive it is, indeed, Autumn.
These beauties have been popping up in the wild all over the place as well. There are quite a few different colours, one day I’ll make a photographic study of the local varieties, they’re extremely photogenic!
In my garden I’ve put in some Ranunculus corms. Some people say it’s best to soak them for an hour before planting, others say not to bother. I just went ahead and put them in without soaking them as that sounded like too much of a bother; I’d probably forget them and end up with soggy blobs that wouldn’t grow anyway. Nobody could say my gardening style was exact!
I went with this collection from a catalogue I receive regularly, it’s from a large commercial grower which I usually tend to avoid (buy local, grow local!) but sometimes the images make things hard to resist. I can’t wait to see what I get .
I also put in some Freesias as well; only a couple, which I swapped some ranunculus corms for with my sister. I love the scent of Freesias so they’re always lovely to have in the garden.
If you’re after scent in the garden you can’t really go past Sweet Peas (Lathyrus odoratus). These climbing annuals are traditionally planted on St Patrick’s Day in my locality but any time in early Autumn is good. If you’ve had them growing there’s a good chance you’ll get some seedlings popping up of their own accord anyway.
My Therapeutic Horticulture journey took a big stride this week. A program started by a combination of local councils is providing me with a bit of business nouse, which will be the building blocks for a new direction in my working life.
A shift in focus to providing the means for gardening to be accessible to everybody, promoting the wellness benefits of being connected to nature, and sharing my passion for plants and the beauty of the natural world is my aim. Keep watching this space!
Til next time!
The Flowerpot Pen 