Island Life Magazine Ltd October/November 2017 | Page 77

Country life
THE SEASONAL SWITCH
by Matt Noyce, Head Gardener at Quarr Abbey
Over the years working outside, I
have noticed that there is a distinctive
moment when the seasons ‘switch’ and it
feels that overnight it gets cooler and the
plants and wildlife start to react to this.
The squirrels chase each other around to control
their territory, the conkers fall from the trees and
the foliage colours turn into their autumn palette,
highlighted by a bright low sun.
This ‘switch’ then starts to affect how we tend to the
gardens at Quarr Abbey. The harvest rush subsides a
little and we have an opportunity to focus on what we
are growing throughout the winter and into the spring.
This year we have an abundance of leeks, beets and
root vegetables to inspect regularly for weather and
pest damage. Fallow areas will be covered to reduce
the spread of weeds during milder periods.
In and around the garden, leaves are collected and
removed from lawns, late occasional mowing takes
place just to keep lawns tidy and dead and untidy
foliage can be pruned back. We remove asparagus
foliage as it dies to prevent asparagus beetles
overwintering. Herbaceous perennials are divided to
maintain healthy plants as well as providing many
more smaller plants to plant or to give away. Using
various methods, many plants such as agapanthus, sea
holly, hostas and ornamental grasses can be divided.
Wow! The orchards have produced a bumper crop
of apples and pears this year. Even the tiniest of newly
planted apple trees are bending over with the weight
of fruit. We need to relieve any smaller trees of large
fruit before the branches break. We will fill the abbey
apple store shelves and then the majority of the rest
of the crop will be turned in to the most delicious
apple juice and both sparkling and still ciders, for
sale in the farm shop. We can tell it is a bumper year
for many other gardeners too as our pigs are now
gorging themselves on a regular supply of malus
fruit. Apple flavoured pork, anyone?
Pictures by Matt Noyce.
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