Actually I don’t think that quote describes our Bloomers garden very well this month. We have a garden full of leaves, although a lot of them are autumnal and blowing around. There are birds visiting the garden to eat seeds off the sunflowers and other plants. And just take a look around to see we have lots of flowers still. The chrysanthemums are in flower this month. I love that they bring a burst of yellow as the days get darker.
The Romani name for November is Bare-Machenegero or month of the salmon. This was the time of year when the rivers would run with salmon and provided food when farm work became scarce. I assume that Runcorn doesn’t have salmon, but we often have a lot of fishermen sitting at the canal near the garden.
Volunteers haven’t done much in the Bloomers garden this month. There’s still some cutting back to do and lots of tidying up of the plants that have died down. And as usual the weeds are growing. Some plants, like rhubarb, need to be covered and put to bed for the winter. Despite the plants dying down for the winter there are always jobs to do.
It’s a good idea to leave parts of the garden a bit untidy though. This gives wildlife places in the garden to settle in for the winter. We cant see them, but we know that many insects and other creatures are making themselves comfortable in Bugingham Palace. It’s sheltered under the ivy and we leave wood, leaves and wild plants round it so that there are lots of places for the different creatures to call their winter home. Of course, some decide to live elsewhere. I found a couple keeping each other warm in the Book Tree the other day.
I cant believe that its nearly Xmas. I have heard rumours that decorations are going to be made to put up in the garden. But meanwhile I see that the big light displays have been put up in the High St. The lights outside the garden are actually a floral shape, which is nice.