As the winter months approach and the winter frost starts looming, the council’s gardeners are working hard to maintain the health of our green spaces around Lyme.
But not everything planted for summer is destined for the compost heap.
The gazanias, which have provided a colourful display near the main gates, have been given another chance, with the plants repurposed in smaller beds elsewhere in the gardens.
Thanks to Lyme’s relatively mild microclimate, the gardening team hopes they will survive the winter and provide another display into next year.
In their place, a new selection of winter bedding is appearing around the main gates and at the war memorial in Georges Square, while the tiered planters in the Jane Austen Garden are also being refreshed for the new season.
Clearing the summer displays also provides an opportunity to look after what lies beneath them.
The gardeners have been busy weeding and clearing beds before replenishing the soil with a mixture of horse manure and peat-free compost, good horticulture practice which returns nutrients and organic matter to the ground ready for future planting.
Applying a heavy deep layer of mulch, this helps to suppress the weeds and aids in retaining moisture.
The most tender plants in the Bermudian Garden surrounding the Garden Pavilion will also receive some extra protection as temperatures begin to fall.
Reusable horticultural fleece and deep mulching will be used where necessary to help protect plants from frost and give them the best chance of making it safely through the winter for another tropical-themed display in the spring.
Following an exceptionally dry summer, some of the town’s newer trees have unfortunately struggled to become established.
Replacement planting is planned this month, including Great White Cherry, Tai Haku, and Mimosa Gaulois Astier, helping to maintain and develop the town’s tree stock.
Trees play an important role throughout the council’s estate, providing habitats for wildlife, absorbing carbon and offering shade and cooling during increasingly hot summers.
A substantial programme of tree work is also planned at Charmouth Road Cemetery this year.
Work will include reducing the height of yew trees, removing dead wood from within the trees, and crown lifting some of the more mature specimens.
Raising the crowns allows additional light to reach the grass below while also improving access for the cemetery attendant carrying out grounds’ maintenance.
Boundary trees which are managed on a three-year cycle will also be shaped, reduced and pollarded where required.
Pollarding is a traditional pruning technique where the upper branches are removed at the same points on a repeated schedule, encouraging regrowth from dormant buds and controlling the tree size, helping to extend the lifespan.
Tree work provides another useful opportunity for the team to inspect trees more closely.
Once climbing equipment is in place, their overall condition can be assessed and any necessary work identified by our in-house qualified arborists.
Occasionally, some safety concerns mean a tree has to be felled to ground level. Where this becomes necessary, the council’s approach is to seek an appropriate location for a replacement tree, at this location or elsewhere on its estate.
Of course, autumn brings one particularly relentless job for the gardening team – leaves.
Keeping paths clear of fallen leaves is important not only to keep the gardens looking tidy, but to reduce the risk of wet leaves creating slippery surfaces.
They don’t go to waste, though. Leaves are collected throughout the autumn, added to the council’s composting area and after breaking down, the resulting leaf matter can be used again in the gardens.
Working alongside the Bee Friendly Lyme Regis initiative, the council will be providing space for bee hotels within the gardens, creating nesting opportunities for solitary bees.
Unlike honeybees, most bee species live alone rather than in colonies, and suitable nesting spaces can therefore provide valuable habitats for these important pollinators, particularly within managed urban environments.
The project forms part of the council’s wider commitment to supporting biodiversity and working with local organisations to encourage wildlife across its green spaces.
Elsewhere, now the nesting bird season has ended, the council’s major hedge-cutting programme using the tractor and flail will resume on the approaches to the town as part of its lengthsman agreement with Dorset Council.
The maintenance team also has a sizeable winter programme of works ahead.
Benches will receive their regular maintenance, including repainting and revarnishing where required, and decorating inside council buildings.
The decorative lighting through the gardens will once again complement the town’s Christmas Lights’ display, bringing some welcome colour to darker evenings.
So, while visitors to the gardens might notice fewer flowers and a few more wheelbarrows over the coming weeks, behind the scenes, autumn and winter are some of the busiest months of the gardening calendar.