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Beating the Big C, the Mitcheldean Garden
2020 |
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This page is part of a series of garden blogs from 2020. Click here for the index. Click here for links to recommended Forest of Dean Walks which we have done in 2020. And so life continued as the 'new normal'. The garden kept us busy and we regularly walked 'locally', eventually deciding we had to drive a (very) few miles first to get a change of scenery. It was time to look for help and I soon discovered a delightful small book produced by the local ramblers called 'Exploring Historic Dean' with descriptions of 14 walks in the Forest of Dean area which did just as the title suggested. By the time we had completed them we had a basic knowledge of that part which is administered by Forestry England (the former Forestry Commission). Throw in the local Ordnance Survey Explorer Map which we had bought on arrival (and its on line version courtesy of Bing Maps) and we were equipped to do for the FoD what we had done for the larger canvas that is Penang and that continued into 2021. Click on a picture for a larger version and click on that to return to this page. All the pictures here (except the last 2) were taken on 1st October 2020, which was about the time that we had to start making a different set of adjustments compared to normal. The front of the house was soaking up the sun as normal but the morning shadows were much longer.
As long as we stood well back then the view at the roadside was unchanged. We had assiduously collected a large pile of horse manure to see us through Autumn and next Spring.
The dahlias and fuchsias refused to stop flowering, there was nothing unusual about that.
There was masses of colour on the patio while above it there was a different kind of colour announcing that winter was just around the corner. With no winds to speak of, it was the first time I can recall the two trees turning golden together.
We were yet to have a frost so while the dahlias were finishing, the African marigolds and fuchsias kept on going.
The purple dark dahlias had exhausted themselves but the white and particularly the red versions just kept on going. Above the bench we have a rescue bush with variegated leaves and small blue autumnal flowers.
Finally in the summer house area we had the yellow cone flowers which always wait to the last moment to flower and what I would call a large daisy as Yuehong's annual experiment. It's called 'Gaillardia Aristata'.
A month later, it's 1st November and it really is all over. The dahlias and large begonias are in the garage, with the geraniums and tender fuchsias in the greenhouse.
Out of sight are hundreds of tulips and dozens of hyacinths tucked up safely until they were ready to emerge. We retreated to the bungalow emerging twice a week to go shopping and rather more frequently to go walking. Here are links for local FoD walks we have enjoyed: Exploring Historic Dean This also includes information on the FC Beechenhurst and Highmeadow Trails as well as 3 short walks in the Soudley area. All are available as PDF downloads. https://fodramblers.org.uk/publications/books-and-leaflets/ Bream Heritage Walk: Hope Mansell Jubilee Walk |
