Time to Put the Garden to Bed

Over here we say, ‘It’s time to put the garden to bed.’ This is the time of year when we trim plants right back to the base.

Anemone. Photograph by Hermione Laake

This week I have trimmed back the fuchsia, buddleja (buddleia), and any spent hollyhocks (alcea), Japanese anemone, and old nigella buds which are dotted about in the garden.

Great Mullein Verbascum. A wildflower. Photograph by Hermione Laake

Spent plants like the one above will revive in the spring, or summer next year, so don’t be afraid to cut them right back to the base.

Anemone. Photograph by Hermione Laake

Buddleja, or Buddlleia comes in several blues

By now the last few butterflies have flown away. I saw one or two just last week, which is why I like to leave some buds on into the first throws of autumn, which I encourage on plants like buddleja and fuchsia by a little summer pruning earlier in the year.

Japanese Anemone springing from a wall. Photograph by Hermione Laake

I keep my own buddleja in a tree shape to provide shade in the garden, but you can use this as a seasonal plant in a small garden, and keep it under control with regular pruning. I haven’t taken any photographs of the buddleja I am growing, but here is one I passed by this morning:

Buddleja growing over an ancient wall, by Hermione Laake