A long weekend, thank you to our Queen.

Leaf Landscapes is closed tomorrow to celebrate our beautiful Queen Elizabeth II’s, special day. What an amazing woman. 70 years leading not only a family, but a country and commonwealth. Still ruling at 96, plus she always wears a stunning colour suit to her outings, that her fashion designer surely takes inspiration from the beautiful colours of the garden!

It is also a prime time to tidy up the garden and get some mulch on there before the chill sets in, if you haven’t managed to do it already. My apologies, this is not quite so exciting as the Queen visiting Chelsea Gardens. It’s best to leave the roses with their spent-flowers on until late July-August. Also no Chelsea-chop for the many other perennials’ browned foliage. If you can leave the dried seedheads for the birds, and let the natural process of the past-season’s foliage protect the delicate plants from frosts, you will be rewarded with stronger plants next season. Embrace the stunning shapes and seed pods of a more wild look in your garden - it’s all the rage at Chelsea this year.

I’ve been recovering from a wee bout of Covid this last week. It has been so frustrating to spend so much time at home, with gorgeous weather, and no energy to do anything! Thankfully I am on the mend now but it is taking wild horses to hold be back from doing too much at this usually very busy time in the garden.

I am also busier than usual this autumn at my property, as I am in the middle of a conversion. Nota sheep to beef conversion, but from vegetables - to flowers. Don’t worry, I will always have a (smaller) corner for my vegetables. However the tomatoes in the tunnelhouse might have to make way for seed raising this time round.

It’s a good job that the days are short now, so I will still have long, late afternoons and evenings to continue working on your garden plans in the office (…as long as I do not replace the lightbulb in the headlamp😏)

So, I am sorry if I do not get back to you tomorrow, but please leave me a message and we can work on your garden solutions after tomorrow. I hope you are enjoying your weekend.