I’m sure all gardeners are commenting on all the flowers that are still in bloom or blooming for the second time this year. I have recently seen a foxglove in bloom, camellias, a clematis, numerous roses and even daffodil bulbs are already pushing up in some flowerbeds. If you are working in beds and borders, it is worth remembering that the bulbs are pushing up earlier than usual and to be careful where you are treading, especially as they may be under a thick leafy carpet.

It is definitely ‘leaf time’ in the garden. They can drive the most patient gardener to distraction, as they blanket lawns, flowerbeds and pathways. I always try to keep lawns and paths clear – lawns because a thick layer of leaves left over the winter can weaken and even kill the grass underneath, and paths because they will get slippery when wet or frosted. You can leave fallen leaves in flowerbeds as they will just act as a warm duvet and mulch over the winter.

I always think of fallen leaves as ‘discarded tree clothes’, but most people look at me as though I’m deranged when I share that thought. However you see them, if you can make the effort to rake up and collect as many as possible, they make a fabulous leaf mould to put back on the beds when rotted down. If you can run a rotary mower over the leaves first it helps hugely in breaking them down so they rot quicker.

My current battle is not with discarded tree clothes but a (Clematis vitalba) that has taken over my front yard. In previous years I have regularly cut it back to keep it in check and as part of the hedge it covers during the year, but this year I thought I’d see what happened if it had it’s own way. Suffice to say it won’t be left to its own devices again next year. It has nearly suffocated several shrub roses and will take a while to untangle and cut back now. Much better to invest a bit of time each month during the summer and to prevent the ‘jungle’ effect.

Commonly known as Traveller’s Joy and Old Man’s Beard, the little white flowers are pretty much insignificant during late summer, which is another reason I don’t need to let it have it’s own way, and the seed clusters only make a mess and make me and Yogi sneeze a lot. It is these white-grey, feathered seed clusters that have earned it the name of Old Man’s Beard. Apparently the name ‘Traveller’s Joy’ came about as it adorns hedges and banks in the countryside ‘boasting billows of beautiful feathery seed heads in the grey months leading up to Christmas’. I’ve noted it’s not called Gardener’s Joy!

Whilst being referred to as ‘wild clematis’, it is actually a woody member of the buttercup family and is widely considered an invasive weed where it has spread outside its native range, as it can form dense thickets blanketing trees and shrubs. As I can verify.

Like any plant, in the right place it has it’s attributes and is loved by lots of pollinators. Birds, especially goldfinches, love the seed-heads too, which is why I will wait (and keep sneezing) before cutting my ‘monster’ back.

The incredibly strong twine-like stems of Traveller’s Joy were traditionally used to make baskets and parts of the plant are used in various health treatments as it is said to contain anti-inflammatory properties. Traditional recipes use the plant to treat various ailments, including skin irritations and stress – a little ironic considering the stress it has caused me this year.