Gardening with Nature on the Edge of the Atlantic

The Storm Season Is Here


I was not at home when Storm Ashley hit this area, so was rather concerned about the garden given the damage caused by the storm last week. Luckily, there were no major issues and I was able to get to the house without using a chainsaw! The state of the garden is mixed. Many of the large trees have lost all of their leaves. Others are untouched. This rowan was stripped bare, but by some miracle the berries are still on the tree. In fact the yellow makes a striking contrast with the grey branches and wine buds.

A pre storm Ashley view of Cape Clear. The autumn colour is provided by Crataegus prunifolia which starts as a vibrant yellow and changes to these lovely oranges and reds. Sadly all that is left now are bare branches.

One of the early autumnal stages of Crataegus prunifolia. I am at a loss to explain the blue tint.

Another survivor of the storm. These Cistus purpureua tend to flower at least twice a year and have decided to flower again at the most inhospitable moment. They are joined by their white relatives showing that they are particularly robust plants. Sometimes I think that I have a reduced selection of flowering plants to grow in this wild place but I cannot complain if they are as beautiful as this.

This little nest has been exposed by the storm. The bush is a favourite place for wrens but the nest is too damaged to make a definite identification. The tree needs pruning but I will leave plenty of shelter for the next bird that decides to nest here next year.

Like the rest of the garden this little space shows the nature of storms. The spindle on the right is still full vibrant crimson leaves. The one on the right has been stripped bare.

As usual – and just in time for Halloween – the artichoke has decked itself out in its spooky costume. I do love these flower heads and must see if there is some way of drying them for the winter.

I grew up on the southeast of Ireland and have little memory of dramatic autumn colours. Leaves tended to turn brown and looked rather dull. Now I am not sure whether my memory is poor. Certainly some shrubs and trees are very colourful in the autumn regardless of the weather. The aronia berries are consistently colourful and change early enough to provide an attractive contrast with the neighbouring double flowered hydrangea.

Details of the turning leaf of the spindle shrub.

The hawthorn leaves are a very attractive yellow. The contrast with the red berries would be perfect but the birds stripped these trees as soon as the berries were ready. I will have to be on my toes if I want to pick some next year for my cordials.

For me contrast is almost as important as the colour in the garden. While I am happy with this combination, I have not always got this right. I am beginning to realise the importance of some of the darker evergreens to provide a backdrop for dramatic orange and yellows as seen in the next photograph.

The Hypericum ‘Hidcote’ is in full flower at the moment giving an illusion of summer in a few parts of the garden. I am not sure if it is a popular plant but it provides months of colour and even more important completely ignored Storm Ashley. Some of the latest flowers have this interesting cream tint making them look much more exotic than usual.

Details of Hypericum ‘Hidcote’.

This Rosa Rugosa blossom did not survive Storm Ashley but as it has produced new buds it has to go into my list of impressive survivors.

I will never understand the ways of plants, despite my advancing years. These Lampranthus were planted in a new sunny bed last year but did not grow an inch. The situation was unchanged throughout this summer. Two weeks ago, they suddenly burst into flower and have been flowering brightly ever since. I am not even going to try and explain it, especially as the wind is howling outside and most self-respecting flowers would call it a year.

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