We have one big thing to celebrate in November: the return of the robust meal. No more rainy barbecues or delicate salads, for this month is a time to embrace the hearty. A jacket potato doesn’t seem suitable for June, a steaming stew (with a dumpling) would be wrong for July, a huge cottage pie (with or without ketchup) would not get too many takers in August. But now we can indulge in casseroles and soups, crumbles and pies without any judgement: we need the calories to keep out the cold and because we have compost heaps to turn.
WORDS JAMES ALEXANDER-SINCLAIR
STAR OF THE MONTH Parthenocissus tricuspidata
The whole northern side of my house in Oxfordshire is covered with this climber. It is very vigorous and spends much of the summer trying very hard to block the gutters and insinuate itself between the slates on the roof and into the attic of the house. This necessitates my spending at least one summer afternoon precariously balancing on a ladder with a pair of secateurs cutting it back to keep it under control. That said, all is forgiven at this time of year when the temperatures drop and the big leaves turn every colour from claret to crimson and from cranberry to carmine.
This plant is Boston ivy (three lobes to each leaf) and is not to be confused with Virginia creeper (P. quinquefolia) which has fve lobes to each leaf. Both are fabulous self-clinging climbers.
Height x Spread 20m x 10m
GO WITH THE FLOW
One of my very favourite trees: there is a garden next to the footpath near my house that has two magnificent specimens. So magnificent that I can sometimes be found at this time of year sitting on the wall, envying the different colours in the turning leaves. They tend to start yellow at the top, cascading down to deep red on the lower branches. I need to be careful in case I get arrested for lurking with intent. Liquidambar styraciflua ‘Worplesdon’ Produces spiky-cased fruit that stay on the tree through the winter. Not suitable for the smaller garden. H x S 20m x 10m
MAKE LIGHT OF IT
You may think of the camellia as a spring shrub – lots of pink and red flowers trumpeting the arrival of spring. You would, of course, be right. But they are more than that, as there are camellias (like this one) that flower all through the winter. Glossy and evergreen, they are fabulous in a slightly acid soil (or a large container) to give you something extra to carry you through the dark days of this season.
Camellia sasanqua ‘Blanchette�
