Talkback: Autumn gardening jobs

Not only what seems to be going to be a record breaking November weather wise for me but a change in gardening philosophy too, Adam,as I am bowing to the confines of age and going over to the No-dig way of gardening. Different kind of lists for me now. I have to restrain myself from putting cardboard out for recycling as it will all be needed on my raised beds. I compost everything possible and only let the green wheelie bin have bramble roots and yucca which will not rot for me as I don’t want the expense or environmental guilt of having a shredder. But I do find it interesting at my time of life to try new things and such variable weather patterns will no doubt keep all of us gardeners on our toes.

Funny old world we live on,The first week in December 2007 we had daffs in flower,2008 it was Christmas week,2009/2010 none until February because of the snow,I have been lifting the leave’s under the bushes only to find the daffs coming through 2″ tall snowdrop’s 1″ tall,Mother nature has got it all wrong again Or should that be Gardener nature, We must be P/C about this.

My self-seeding annuals have given three crops this year – three lots of forget-me-nots, love-in-the-mist, poached egg plant,all making the garden look so colourful. Spring flowering shrubs and small perennials like primroses, cowslips, walflowers, have given a show as good as they did in the spring all over again. This was due to the warm September and October, no doubt, and the plentiful rain in the summer. But what has gripped me most is the autumn display of colour. I seemed to have it in two stages and the one just coming to a close now has been the best I have ever seen. Not just the acers but the tulip tree, ginkco biloba, euonymus alatus, spindle tree, hamamellis, all surpassed themselves. The sun is out in Bristol again today so am on my way, pruning as I go, to gaze through the yellow leaves that are left on the tulip tree up to the cloudless blue sky. Strange weather we have had but, when such sights are the result, you will hear no murmur of discontent from me.

Very interesting observations, but just as some things appear to have been thrown completely out of sync others are spot on their usual timings.

I wonder what other people have found in different parts of the country?