A Long Sweet Goodbye To Autumn

Summary

The author reflects on the bittersweet decision of whether to prune and remove autumn flowers to prepare for winter, balancing the beauty of the present with the practicality of the future.

Abstract

As autumn transitions to winter, the author grapples with the annual dilemma of when to say goodbye to the flourishing garden. Despite the impending frost, flowers like Hebe, Verbena, Viburnum, and Gazania continue to thrive, presenting a picturesque yet poignant scene. The author deliberates over the pruning of summer bedding plants and flowering bushes, aware that the vibrant blooms will soon succumb to the cold. The necessity of pruning is weighed against the ecological impact on bees, insects, and birds that rely on these plants. Amidst this decision-making process, the author finds solace in the anticipation of winter-flowering plants like Mahonia and Camellia, which signal the cyclical nature of gardening and the promise of new beauty to come.

Opinions

The author expresses a personal struggle between the aesthetic appeal of the flowers and the practical need to prepare the garden for winter.
There is a sense of attachment to the plants, particularly those steeped in medieval magic, such as the cinquefoil, which makes pruning a difficult decision.
The author acknowledges the ecological responsibility of maintaining the garden for the benefit of wildlife, emphasizing the importance of having enough flowers for pollinators and birds.
Despite the sadness of the seasonal change, there is an underlying optimism for the upcoming winter blooms, suggesting a philosophical acceptance of the gardening cycle.
The author's connection to the garden is evident through the vivid descriptions and personal reflections on the plants' resilience and the changing seasons.

A dilemma to face and resolve as the incoming chill of winter threatens the beauties in the garden

Hebe flowers thriving in our garden despite the incoming dark of winter; photo by the author

It is a recurring predicament in late autumn. To remove the bedding plants that are still profuse with pretty flowers, or let them wilt and die when winter frost sets in.

The same with still-flowering bushes, whether or not to prune them. The outcome, naturally, is to consign the flowers into the garden waste bin.

Verbena flowers, one of the top magical/herbal flowers; they don’t seem to mind the autumn cold as they still produce flowers when I thought they are done flowering; photo by the author

Stubborn me knew that summer bedding plants should be discarded before the onset of winter, and flowering bushes be pruned.

In our old garden, my husband did the deed shortly before November.

Viburnum flowers that keep on giving blooms and berries in autumn; scent is as sweet if not sweeter than that of jasmine. Each time I pass my viburnum, it seems to say hello with its perfumed scent; photo by the author

In our new one, I could not even prune the cinquefoil, a plant steeped in medieval magic, that had already stopped flowering. (I must, however, do it soon.)

So what’s more for the bushes that are still flowering robustly?

The autumn rain seems to have awakened the plants in this rockery; the flowers just keep on blooming; photo by the author

Still, the summer beddings, the flowering bushes and trees have to, eventually before the dark of winter, be removed and pruned.

Otherwise, the bees and other insects that rely on flowers and the birds that feed on berries come spring may not have enough food if plants grow leggy (i.e. less flowers).

While the blueberry tree seems proud of its remaining autumn leaves, the mums (ruby-red and white), the campanula (violet flowers) and the gazanias (orange and red) carry on with their blooms; photo by the author

For now and possibly in a week or so, my long and sweet goodbye to the flowers in my garden has to happen. I’m not, however, overly upset this time.

I have not seen such robust-looking gazania plant as above, and there are several of them in our garden with flowers of different colours. The petals of the flowers close up when cloudy but open their beauty as soon as the sun is out. Photo by the author, taken while writing this story.

I have a mahonia that flowers in winter — it has actually started flowering now — and a camellia that started its flower budburst, ready to bloom by mid-winter (I think).

The mahonia flower buds are starting to bloom, ready to make a statement when winter sets in; photo by the author

As in life, some good things come to an end, but other good or even better things have their foot on the door — in a manner of speaking.

PHOTO ESSAY

A Long Sweet Goodbye To Autumn

A dilemma to face and resolve as the incoming chill of winter threatens the beauties in the garden

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Garden In My Small Balcony

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