by Terriesa Torode
As the Autumn progresses for those of you who grow your own will be busy harvesting. Fruit to be collected and vegetables to be made into pickles, chutneys, blanched frozen veg and even wine can be made from vegetables. Fruit can be frozen, but I only do this with the best of my fruit, the rest going towards jams, jellies and wines. One really captures the summer by making these delightful, tasty additions to your usual shopping. Each scone filled with your own homemade jam is a pleasure on the senses. Crispy sweet vegetables stand out against supermarket food, and it all happens in the garden. The hedgerows too are filled with soft fragrant blackberries; a beautiful syrup or vinegar can be made easily from blackberries and rose hips hold so much more vitamin C than ordinary fruit which is useful against coughs and colds come winter.
Here are some useful tips to keep the garden healthy and looking good throughout the coming months.
- Bulbs
It seems strange thinking of spring at this time of the year, but gardening is always about planning ahead. As a gardener you learn patience because plants need to grow and get established before you reap the rewards and bulbs need to be established in the ground before they flower in their myriad of colours in the spring. Buy bulbs early before they start to wilt, you will see better results this way. Always plant bulbs at their correct depth, usually found on the labels or rule of thumb is to plant three times their height to their depth. So large Narcissus can be planted quite deeply but Crocuses are tiny and only get planted around an inch or deeper.Bulbs can be used in many ways. One can plant them underneath trees like Crocuses, Aconites and small Narcissus. These will become drifts of colour in time but only if you let them die down naturally and cut the grass in late summer when the bulbs have released their seeds. You can plant bulbs in natural groups alongside your main drive or plant them out in the flower border where they bring plenty of colour early in the year whilst perennials are only just starting. Bulbs also look dramatic and elegant if planted in pots, ideally in layers starting with the largest bulbs lower down in the pot and leading up by layers until you have the smallest bulbs, resting just underneath the compost. When your summer flowers have finished flowering in your pots, plant up with bulbs and any other small plant you wish to add. The pots placed in groups of threes or five next to the front door will greet all visitors or use two pots either side of the front door to lead visitors. - Structures, paths, patios
Get all paths power washed and clean ready for winter. Stain and waterproof all outdoor furniture, structures and gates. Clean patio and tidy up borders surrounding the patio. It leaves a better headspace come winter. Clean and sort through all guttering before winter comes. Dripping water cause algae and moss to grow which in turn creates slippery surfaces to walk on. Fix any problems with broken slats, shed roofs, chairs and tables before it gets too cold to work out in. By doing this now, the furniture or shed will survive winter and be ready for use come spring. Clean out water butts with a hose and replace covers back on. - Glasshouses
Towards the middle of October repair any broken panes of glass. Clean gutters and repair fixings. All fixings are readily available online or in some hardware shops. Grow a few flowers for winter use in the greenhouse like Cyclamen, Primula, Snapdragons and Hellebores which do mind the cold of a greenhouse but are protected from the worst weather outside. Bulbs can be forced so you will have flowers throughout December and January. Keep them in the dark until you see shoots have reached two inches. Do not bring into the house because they will only grow very quickly (because of the heat) and flop over but keep them cool until the last moment and wonderful flowers you will have. If you have a heated greenhouse then try Geraniums, Orchids and Hibiscus (Tropical) not shrub. - Compost bins
Empty out your compost bins and only material that is completely broken down (usually at the bottom) must be used. So, a deep dark brown, crumbly mixture is the correct type of mulch needed for the garden. In garden terms, it is called ‘Humus’, and this will increase root activity, give the plants more minerals and nutrients which in turn creates stronger, healthier plants. Grab a wheelbarrow and shovel the humus onto your flower beds or vegetables plots. The microorganisms will bring this richness down into the soil, there is no need to dig it in, just lay it and spread it around deeply. Whilst the bin is empty and before you place some of it back again in the base, repair any broken pieces of wood or wire at this point.Order well-rotted manure. The larger the garden the more is required. Some people with horses may now use miscanthus for bedding and this makes excellent mulches. Any manure must be three years old, rich and brown and not smelling of urine. - Houseplants
Start reducing watering this month and stop feeding at the end. Clean all leaves of large tropicals, checking for any mites, scale insects, aphids or any other pest or disease. Pot up if pot bound all houseplants. If a plant needs plenty of sunshine, then move a few plants to better positions for the winter light. Cacti must only be watered now every two weeks and in October only once a month throughout winter. Start watering Hippeastrum now for glorious flowers at Christmas. Read above for bulbs, these can be placed in sheds and garages until required for Christmas,
just do not forget to water them, they will need watering weekly. - Ponds
Spread a net over the entire pond. This prevents leaves from falling inside the pond and creating less oxygen available for the wild insects or fish, plus a sludgy bottom of decomposing leaves. Lift and divide your favorite perennials growing on the inside but lift and remove half of the vigorous types. If you have Irises or rushes that have taken over, remove most of them, leaving only a few in place. Chop the pieces up with a spade and place inside the compost bin afterwards. A pond should always have oxygenating plants so if you have only water then buy some of these very important plants. Water Lilies provide shade for frogs and larvae, but oxygenators provide oxygen. If you remove your pump for winter then clean thoroughly beforehand, otherwise leave on to prevent frost from freezing the pond. - Vegetables
I sincerely hope you all are harvesting your very tasty vegetables, and you can fill with winter greens started off now and planted out in late September as small plants. Try to fill in any gaps either with vegetables, green manures or mulches to replace nutrients used by these hungry vegetables. You will also protect the soil from erosion as well as improve the soil structure. This will ensure even better vegetables next year and healthier ones too. Cover all leafy vegetables like cabbages, purple sprouting and Brussels with netting otherwise pigeons will thank you for their tasty morning meal. Make frozen blanched vegetables, place vegetables in clamps. Vegetables can be made into pickles or chutneys and use hedgerow berries too as Blackberries can be used in many ways from jams, jellies, syrups and vinegars plus wines can be made from vegetables and spare fruit. Use every vegetable, waste nothing and reap the rewards of your hard work. - More on fruit
If you have lots of apples, stew them into bags for winter use. Make jams, jellies and wines out of them. Slow dry them in ranges for a night to make dried apple rings. Find someone who could make them into cider unless they are very sweet apples, these must be used immediately. Otherwise, store apples wrapped in newspaper and kept in boxes or even freezer bags will do but keep them in a cool dark position. - Perennials
Lift and divide all overgrown clumps. If any perennial is clashing in your border, then remove to a more suitable position. Weed all beds, remove all sticks, flower supports as you work. Sprinkle slow release fertiliser over the entire flower bed and mulch afterwards with a humus rich material. The flower border will look neater, but it has now received nutrients, and a mulch, so will reward you next with its amazing show. Lift any delicate half hardy perennials like salvias and Dahlias and bring into a greenhouse, polytunnels or light shed. Some of these need to be kept dry, others will need to be on their sides and not watered whilst others may need storing. Find out about each plant’s requirement or send me an email. - Collect seeds
Collect seeds now whilst they are perfect and only on dry days. Hang inside a paper bag for a week in a warm dry position and the seed pods will open and the bag will have captured your own seeds. This will save you money but more importantly the seeds have acclimatised to your garden and will grow hardier next year. Always label what you have collected and store in an airtight container or sow immediately into compost and overwinter in a cold frame, greenhouse or tunnel to be planted out early next year.
Happy gardening folks!