We've had some amazing days recently: lovely sun and autumn colours and fabulous sunsets - possibly sunrises too, but I never see them! As I sit writing this, the afternoon sun is shining on the trees, which look stunning against a pale blue sky.
It makes you want to be out in the garden having a good tidy up. I am feeling smug because I have just had a bit of a go myself, and filled up the bin yet again. There is no need to be too precious about tidying up as the wildlife will appreciate some dead leaves and log piles, and some leaves on the border will soon rot down - but not too thick a layer, as some plants, like roses, do not like their ankles covered.
I have to admit – and I say this in a whisper so Monty cannot hear – that I do a lot of clearing up with the hedge cutters. You can take the bulk off the roses and herbaceous top growth quickly and then finish off with the secateurs or shears. Clearing paths, lawns and paving will instantly make the garden look smarter too.
So here is quick canter through some jobs:
- November is the prime time for planting tulips, nice and deep, and protect them from rodents if they are a problem.
- Cover tender plants - either wrap them in fleece, mulch or put in a sheltered spot.
- Prune deciduous trees or shrubs if necessary, cut out dead, diseased or damaged wood or shape up.
- If you have an overlarge shrub consider ‘legging it up’, i.e. cut away lower growth to reveal the stems. This will let in light, enable you to plant underneath and give a view beyond.
- Plant bare root raspberries, roses, trees and rhubarb.
- If planting a tree, please read the label to see how big it will get.
- Visit gardens to see what colours and autumn interest plants are around.
- Protect any pots that may not be frost proof; use bubble wrap but not over any plants.
- Cover holly if you want some berries for Christmas - the birds always get them a few days before the 25th. Even so, provide clean water for the little blighters.
- Tidy winter interest plants, remove unsightly dead leaves, e.g. Fatsia japonica, palms, phormiums, pulmonaria, lamium and ferns. Cut the old leaves off hellebores, and remove leaves and mulch around snowdrops and aconites so that the flowers can be appreciated.
- Group together pots for a bigger impact: a selection of different greens and shapes can produce a pleasing winter display.
- Grass still grows when the temperature is above 5°C – drat it!
Also peatlands store 33% of the world’s soil carbon and the loss of this carbon store will have an extremely detrimental impact on our climate.
Happy pottering, goodbye till our next visit to compost corner.