WHO NEEDS SUN WITH THESE SHADES?
In the borders, the vibrant colours of late summer are still shining and added to by new blooms. As well as those, berries of trees and shrubs come into their own along with colourful rose hips. As if that is not enough, there are many trees, shrubs and even some herbaceous plants which will begin their unforgettable foliage display.
In the cottage garden, the autumn red hot pokers provide the heat along with the hot pinks of Schizostylis. The latter looks superb with the autumn Sedums. Limy green kniphofia spikes are a fine contrast to the blues of the Michaelmas daisies.
On walls, the famous Virginia creepers set themselves alight with startling red foliage. The white flowers of Russian vines are soon joined by increasingly golden yellow leaves - an impressive sight climbing through conifers. Cotoneasters also look good on a wall with their thousands of shiny red berries.
Nerines provide the Meditteranean touch with their spidery heads of daring hot pink flowers as they bask in the last warm rays of early autumn sunshine.
In the rockeries, colour is provided by those Cyclamen, which are responding to the cool dewy days.
On the patio, it is really a time for change as far as flowers are conerned. One or two pots of Acers look superb close to the house as their fine fiery foliage entices you out into the rest of the garden.
Now you Sedum - there’s no way you won’t!
They need a well drained soil and tend to perform best with not too much fertiliser which can encourage them to go rather floppy. In the later flowering stage, or even during the winter, they can be lifted and divided and look good when replanted in generous clumps. Here are some of my favourite varieties....
1. Autumn Glory - This robust type is the most popular variety probably seen in around a third of gardens. It produces large heads of deep pink flowers.
2. Pink Ice - This is another relatively popular variety, producing light pink heads.
3. Strawberries and cream - The deep purple foliage compliments the rather interesting strawberries and cream coloured flower heads.
4. Frosty Morn - This variety has green and cream variegated leaves topped with large heads of crispy white flowers. This type does not really form clumps.
5. Spectabile - This popular variety has flowers of the most brilliant pink.
It’s time for you to see the light
PLANT bulbs in your herbaceous borders for late spring and early summer colour. My favourites include Ornithogalum, Brodeias, Alliums and species Tulips. All of these varieties thrive in sun on a well-drained soil. If you have a heavy clay, add gritty compost.
OCTOBER is a good month to give your lawns a high phosphate feed to build up their roo l110-t system. Autumn is the time when lawn grasses produce underground runners and these need to be encouraged to thicken up the lawn. A traditional proprietary autumn fertiliser can be used but I find brushing in a mixture of economy potting compost with bonemeal works well.
For a smoother transition to a better position
OCTOBER is an ideal month to move evergreen shrubs that are in the wrong place.
Most people would do this because the plant has outgrown its surroundings, but there are other good reasons for this operation. Ask yourself - Is the plant happy where iit is? For instance, does it need more sun or shade? Does it need more moisture? Would it be happier in a spot sheltered from the winter winds? And finally - Does it intergrate with the other plants around it?
Conditions are ideal at this time of year when the ground is still relatively warm, allowing the plants to settle into their new locations.
Having decided on the plant’s new home, it is important to prepare the area thoroughly by digging a hole roughly the same width as the foliage span and as deep as it is wide, Incorporate a generous amount of bulky organic matter into and around the hole. Water the shrub thoroughlly two to three hours before and dig out as large rootball as you can.
When planting, stand back to check the shrub is facing the right way and then backfill with the compost, soil and a liberal dusting of bone meal.
Finally, water thoroughly and also soak the leaves to reduce transpiration and therefore reduce shock. Further watering will probably be necessary for a few weeks to help the plant establish.
One must bear in mind that Calcifuges (plants which do not tolerate lime) such as Pieris and Rhododendrons prefer a backfill of peat or ericaceous compost which has a low (acidic) PH. A dusting of sequestered iron will help these plants to absorb the nutrients from the compost.
Peter Piper should pick his pods of pepperpot poppies
IT IS worth leaving some seed heads to provide extra interest during the autumn and winter. Some exciting ones are the Pepperpot Poppy pods and the inflated Nigella balloons. Rosehips of course provide intense colour this month and food for the birds.
Why not take each Dahlia as it comes?
KEEP deadheading your Dahlias to prolong the autumn display. Don’t just pick off the dead petals, remove the whole stem back to a stem carrying a new bud. At this time of the year, it is worth removing the smaller buds as exhibition growers do.
Make sure you’re not too forgetful
NOW IS a good time to thin out l120-self-sown Forget-Me-Nots and to try to throw away the thinnings without the sense of guilt. Deep down, you know they will otherwise be too invasive.
Mowing is a shredded treat
IT IS worth running your mower over the l120- leaves on your lawn to shred them, thus speeding up the composting process even l140-if not that much grass is collected.
It’s all and nothing for October
OCTOBER will begin autumnally unsettled l120- but the fine warm weather should return with fog at night. Around mid-month, a change to heavy thundery rain from the south could be followed by a distinct change to chilly bright and showery north westerly winds.
Next month’s info will be Ace
IN NOVEMBER you can look forward to the l120- umbrella leaves of Darmera (Peltiphyllum) as they assume traffic-light transitions alongside the Acers, providing even more heat to the chilly days of next month.
See you next month!
Go back
