Compost Corner - Autumn Update 2025

Priory’s gardens are our pride and joy and award-winning gardener Mr Farron wants to let parents and pupils know what to expect each month as the landscape changes.  

Season’s greetings fellow composters! Well, what an amazing and challenging year it has been with an extremely hot summer and a very wet autumn. However the weather does bring advantages for the new year, with extended root growth and the rain falling at the right time for seeds to germinate for the growing season of spring and autumn.

So what’s new; we welcomed the arrival of Eddie the Eagle who displays his seniority through the gardens and also the completion of the courtyard featuring olive trees, rock features and a lily which will flower through spring, summer and autumn.

Tips to do now - collect as many fall leaves as possible and put into a bin liner adding a drop of water and tie the top to leave to decompose to mid spring. This creates a truly wonderful composted mixture of nutrients which is ideal for all plants containing nitrogen, calcium and potassium. From this you will be thrilled with the results that the plants show. It is time also to prune shrubs, plants and roses and also remember to cover them up before winter comes.

Consider planting for the new year for early colour and show.  Plant bulbs of daffodils, crocus, allium, cyclamen, anemone and chionodoxa - all of which you will notice in the Priory gardens come early spring.

As Christmas is not too far off may I suggest alternatives as presents that will last for many Christmases to come. Why not try a gift that will last a lifetime. May I suggest perennial roses, my favourite Rosa Sunny Sky (Rose of the earth 2016). The strong stemmed flower produces a long succession of lightly scented summer flowers; without a doubt a stunner. Rosa-Simply Gorgeous has deep lavender buds that reveal unusual toned flowers with a heavy fragrance. An alternative is Echinacea Rainbow Marcella which has an astonishing variety of colours that open with tangerine, orange and red creating a visual feast.

Design and Development This Year

The Boulevard that stretches from the entrance of the Priory Gardens to the corridors of Science and English has been well received by giving a pleasant walk through for all to see, showing the various colours and structure of the many plants from early spring to winter. 

The Courtyard now allows all who pass a picture of serenity and grace and come spring the emergence of a very special water lily will emerge to the top of the still pond giving the final touch to this construction. I hope you like and enjoy the experience of Priory’s growth.

In other news, last year I arranged a special off-site visit to a local garden nursery to show our interested pupils the making of Christmas wreaths. The owner of Newgate Nurseries and staff welcomed Mrs Massey’s class and showed them the materials used to construct the wreaths. The owner asked the pupils to choose a Christmas tree for display in the main hall. This was a wonderful gesture and I have agreed with Mr Cookson that this agreement will continue for years to come. The pupils, with the guidance of myself and Mrs Massey, will help with this very happy chore of decorating the tree. 

To conclude, I would like to thank the pupils especially for their kind remarks and showing respect to our gardens here at Priory. I look forward to the season ahead.

ADESTE FIDELES 
LAETI TRIUMPHANT 

Mr C Farron
Head Gardener 

PS Keep blooming, everyone!