Autumn is approaching quickly with leaves of the Japanese maples in particular changing daily. The garden is full of rowan and cotoneaster berries as well as many different types of cones. The first Autumn crocus are just beginning to appear and the cyclamen began flowering a few weeks ago but should remain until October. Japanese anemones, willow gentians, late flowering hydrangeas and clematis all add to increasing amount of wonderful autumn colour. 

The 2010 Cluny Seed List will be available towards the end of the year. The seed is produced from all our own plants and dried and packeted here. If you would like a copy of the list please email Wendy wmattingley@btinternet.com  For reference have a look at the 2009 list in the "Find Out More " pages of this website.

The Red Squirrels are very active in the mornings particularly around the time the garden opens when they are fed with hazelnuts, pinenuts and peanuts. After late morning until about 4pm, they tend to be less easily seen. In the late afternoon they appear at the feeders again. They can also be seen anywhere in the garden particularly if you are quiet while going around. Two orphaned squirrels were released in the garden at the beginning of June and they appear to be doing well and eating plenty! We now have other young squirrels in the garden including one called 'Stumpy' with half a tail which looks like a stoat when it is running about!

There are good numbers of bumblebees and hoverflies feeding on the flowering shrubs and perennials but butterflies are in short supply.  Blackcaps have recently been in the garden feeding chiefly on Tibetan cherries. As our breeding blackcaps have probably left on migration, it is reckoned that these are passage birds feeding up before moving on to southern Europe or North Africa.