AUGUST AT CLUNY

August is generally a very lush month and the transition from summer to autumn is becoming apparent with leaves and berries gradually turning colour. Seed heads of many plants are left to self-seed within the garden to provide interest as well as food for wildlife. (Please do not pick any, thank you). Look out for the Red Squirrels particularly near No 5 and the car-park area.

LILIUMS, CROCUS & CYCLAMEN

As you begin your walk around the garden you will see one of last year’s very tall dried out stalks from the Giant Himalayan Lily, Cardiocrinum giganteum with Venus fly-trap like seed heads at the top. Around the garden you will also see this year’s green 2 to 3m high stalks with their fig-like seed heads. These remain a structural feature in the garden throughout the year and the seed heads begin to open dispersing their seed in January. Lilium davidii an orange spotted lily remains in flower into early August in the lawn beds followed later in the month by the similar Lilium lancifolium (syn tigrinum) or Tiger Lily. The 2 to 3m high orange lily flowering at No 12 is the American Turkscap, Lilium superbum. It also grows in one of the beds up from the car park. Early in August there are highly scented tall lilies in the bottom half of the garden. The first autumn crocuses appear in late August particularly around the fence just before the car park near the closed gate. The first tiny flowers of Cyclamen can be spotted often hidden under trees.

TROPAEOLUM SPECIOSUM 

The magnificent Tropaeolum speciosum or Chilean Flame Flower grows in many different places in the garden crawling through and over shrubs and trees. It has long spurred scarlet flowers and towards the end of the month, its purple-blue berries will begin appearing. It grows from long white underground tubers and although some people successfully grow it, many try time and time again without success. It is related to nasturtium. Other creepers include Chinese Clematis tangutica  which grows on the fence on the corner at the top of the road as you arrive or leave. It has yellow bell-shaped flowers and fluffy seed heads suitable for drying for flower arranging. In the beds above the car park area and in some other places you will find Codonopsis, a trailing creeper from the Himalayas, with mainly green beautiful, but not noticeable, tubular flowers. Wasps ‘get drunk’ on their nectar. 

TREES & SHRUBS

There are two fine examples of the very beautiful Acer shirasawanum’ Aureum, the Golden Leaf Full Moon Japanese Maple, one at the gate as you enter the garden and one at the far end of the lawn. They and other Japanese maples are already showing autumnal tints. The beautiful red bark of Prunus serrula var. Tibetica, the Tibetan Cherry is unmistakable. At present they are hanging with cherries (inedible) which are turning red, and a favourite food of blackbirds and wood pigeons. (PLEASE do not pull off any of the bark). Look out for the parent tree at No 10. A huge example at the back of the house of the Chinese Hydrangea sargentiana flowers vigorously during late August attracting many insects particularly bumble bees. Younger plants can be seen between 5 & 6 and 18 & 19. Large specimens of the vigorous Hydrangea paniculata, mainly found at the very bottom of the garden, are also in full flower.

CONES, HIPS & BERRIES

This is another very good year for cones. Look around you at the view point between Nos 28 & 29 where in particular, Abies procera the Noble fir is covered at the top in cones. The most obvious of colourful hips in early August are the orange and red hips of Rosa omeiensis which are also eaten by the squirrels. Good examples are on the lawn at No 2 and another between 9 and 10 close to the second Sequioadendron. Of the Actaeas  or Baneberry, the prolific numbers of A. rubra berries are now being eaten by bullfinches, song thrushes and blackbirds while the white berries of A alba (Doll’s Eyes) may stay on the stems for weeks without being eaten. Fortunately for the birds, it is another very good year for various species of Sorbus and Cotoneaster. The different species of Berberis throughout the garden hold tiny orange or red berries like little jewels on their fine branches.

HERBACEOUS PLANTS

In early August, Ligularia with their tall yellow or orange daisy-like flowers and large rounded leaves can be seen mainly between numbers 3 & 10. Many insects love the tall, invasive late-flowering perennial Senecio tangutica (Chinese Groundsel) with panicles of yellow flowers. There is a large clump next to the Sequoiadendron at No 5. At the bottom of the garden in particular, there is an ever increasing drift of white Anemone japonica. This plant enjoys full sun and flowers well into October. Another plant we are attempting to establish throughout the garden is the elegant Japanese Kirengeshoma palmata with its tubular pale yellow flowers sometimes called Yellow Waxbells. A large clump can be seen at number 3 and between numbers 19 & 20. Appearing towards the end of the month is the European Willow Gentian Gentiana asclepiadea, a clump-forming perennial with blue (also white) flowers. It is found throughout the garden but there are some large clumps at the very bottom of the garden. An annual seen throughout the first half of the garden in the sunnier spots is a yellow ‘Busy-Lizzie’ with seed heads which spring open even if only lightly touched when they are ripe.

WILDLIFE

Please keep a look out for the Red Squirrels. They feed regularly, sometimes two at a time, on the bird feeders near the first Sequoiadendron at No 5 and on feeders close to the car-park. It has been a good breeding season with the young squirrels much bolder than the adults so if you are patient it should be possible to get a photograph particularly at No 5. The garden is full of birds but most have gone quiet while they are in moult. Bullfinches, Treecreepers, Jays and Great Spotted Woodpeckers are regulars along with many other common species. There are plenty toads and frogs, one reason for the near perfect hosta leaves! It could be another good year for fungi. If you are able to identify any, please leave a note of what you see as there is a garden list. 

AUGUST JOBS

Constant cutting back of a number of shrubs and trees is always necessary. Weeding and mulching continues as ever. There is seed to collect and dry. Early spring flowering plants are being lifted and split to be planted in other parts of the garden or potted for sale for next year.