Farewell to autumn . . .

Greetings my welcome e-visitor

Autumn in Canberra has been delightful this year. We’ve had many clear still sunny days, and just enough rain to keep everything healthy. Almost no cold winds to add a wind chill factor - that's lucky. The begonias and fuchsias have been particularly beautiful and long-lasting. And the roses! 

(And everything else that's lovely! There are more photos in the ongoing sldieshow on the right, plus web albums, listed month to month, especially so marrying couples can see how the garden will look around the time of their special day. Just click the links.) 

We’ve been well blessed with long-lasting colour this year. Many trees are still in autumn leaf, like the twelve trees in our birch grove. (Yes, twelve birches together on one suburban block!) Other autumn glories are still to turn, like our blueberries, oak-leaf hydrangeas and our larger liquidambar.

I enjoy so much, joining with our three-year-old grand-daughter in her fascination with the way that the trees are ‘going to sleep’, just as the daffodils are ‘waking up’ and popping their new shoots through blankets of mulch.

In my role as civil marriage celebrant, I've held weddings in the Heart Garden in all three months of autumn.

In March . . . 

Collage of 3 photos from a private wedding on March 5 (That's me on the right)

In April . . . 

Kie and Jill were married at the Heart Garden in mid-April

In May . . . 

At the chilly end of May, the wedding, signing and celebrating for Aldo and Francesca's wedding all took place inside

Francesca arrives for her marriage with Aldo
in late May

                                                                                                                                                                                       Of the several small weekday weddings this autumn, nearly all were held on fine days. 

Sometimes the low temperature meant we needed to hold the ceremony inside in the ‘green room’, where windows in three walls overlook the garden. The bride and groom can stand in the bay window, surrounded by garden, but warm and snug. Often, as winter draws closer, when the weather’s pleasant enough, we go into the garden for photos after the ceremony and signing, with crystal glasses of bubbly in hand. 

Even on cold days, guests will linger because the atmosphere of the very romantic Heart Garden is so inviting and welcoming. This feels good for my heart.

I love these three 'hats': 

- Heart Gardener

- Marriage Celebrant

- Grandmother to children who are loving the garden already, and just may choose a garden-related career, as our younger son and daughter have done. 

This too is good for my heart. 

Here is the gate to the Heart Garden

Iris 'Michele' in her full glory

Hello
How honoured I am!

Iris 'Michele'

With great pleasure I introduce iris 'Michele' to the world. She was named for me about thirty years ago by my garden mentor, art teacher and truly inspiring friend, Tony Fetherston. Yesterday I took part in a working bee in local gardens which Tony and his horticulture school team developed in Weston, Australian Capital Territory.

I am so glad that when the School of Horticulture relocated, the extensive teaching gardens were not sold to developers for housing. After strong interest by a few very committed members of the local gardening community, the gardens were gifted to the community by the ACT government, on the understanding that the community and government together would be responsible for the upkeep. I am a Friend of Fetherston Gardens.

Here we are in Oz two-thirds of the way through Spring and the beauty continues to abound. My lovely Mum has just been to visit and it was such a pleasure to share the garden with her. She mentioned that the colour drifts reminded her of Monet's garden in Giverny.

I have uploaded many photos of our lovely October garden, from early October to late. Not only do I enjoy sharing the beauty of the Heart Garden with you, my welcome visitor, but it also helps brides who plan to marry in the Heart Garden see what will be in flower on their special day.
(There's a slideshow list to the right with photos of the garden in various months. If you'd like more information about getting married in the Heart Garden, click here)

If the flower garden above has Monet-style colour drifts, this photo below of a different part of the garden is more reminiscent of the wild romantic settings of Fragonard.

What's unusual right now?

Viburnum macrocephalum - or viburnum with huge brain-shaped flowers. We cut back this viburnum in the winter because she branched out too far onto a public path. Because of this, in the spring she only had one flower spray, but it was a fascinating chain.

Viburnum macrocephalum

I'll probably add another post to this blog in November because late Spring is different again. It's shady and the roses come into full bloom. See you then? I hope so.

If you love to visually visit romantic gardens, as I do, please click 'October in the Heart Garden' in the list to the right for more mid to late Spring images. Enjoy.

Berries and birds - it's mid-autumn in the Heart Garden

Hello

Pink autumn leaves on the euonymous will give an unusual display for several months

At this beautiful mellow time of year, there are lots of edibles in the Heart Garden. The humans get some of the eats but the birds get most. I think the parrots eat the figs but I haven't seen them in action. 

The currawongs have feasted on the ampelopsis berries and, strangely none of our feathered guests have got into the orange berries on the pyracantha acerifolia. 
     
I've made this blog post all about the berries and birds. As well, there's the soundscape - lots of happy little birds who choose to make their homes here.
If the short video on the right plays for you, you'll hear the birdsong.

The last of the ampelopsis (blue porcelain) berries

Currawong in snow gum (eucalytus pauciflora)

Cratageus acerifolia (maple leaf hawthorn)

The raspberries were delicious in late summer and we kept them under bird net. Cherry tomatoes don't seem to appeal to the birds I'm glad to say and the pesky possum who visits at night can't get at them easily. The parrots have not yet noticed the pomegranates. Something I noticed as I wandered, taking photos, liriopes have dark green autumn berries. Wonder if the colour will change.

Pomegranate waiting to burst open, and get eaten

I saw the first fejoias on the ground yesterday, just near the roses as they finish their autumn flush. Several roses have lovely hips and we still have colourful crab apples to look at. 

Rose hips on a rose I can't name

crab apples on malus ioensis rubra

If you click on April in the Heart Garden Slideshow Collection, or simply watch the main slideshow on the right, you'll see lots of lovely flowers that feature in the garden at this time of year, like purple daises and mauve roses.

Floribunda rose Charles de Gaulle

There'll be several small weddings in the Heart Garden in the next few weeks and the garden will be a glorious backdrop.  

Lipstick maple

We are certainly well-blessed on our little patch of Mother Earth.