October 2013 Newsletter

Whilst I’ve truly mourned the end of summer (I soooo didn’t want to put my shorts and flip flops into storage), even I have to admit that the move into autumn hasn’t been too bad after the initial shock. As I write, I’m in short sleeves and have been hunting for my sunglasses.

The lower sun highlights many of the glorious colour changes that are taking place all around us. There’s one road I cycle along on my way to and from work each day which is lined with Liquidambar trees (such an evocatively descriptive name), which seemingly change on a daily basis as the green leaves turns to rich auburn, flaming red, and stunning orange.

Also on the turn just now in the garden centre are the lovely Cornus kousa and Cornus florida, Euonymus alatus, Cotinus, Nandina domestica and Cercis Canadensis. Mirroring these rich autumn shades is the wonderful range of Heuchera I’ve pulled in from a new supplier …. with names like ‘Marmalade’, ‘Caramel, ‘Cajun Fire’ and ‘Obsidian’ they are irresistible, and add a splash of autumn colour at ground level.

This is a time for berries as well as flaming colour, of course, and we have berries aplenty. Pyracantha, Gultheria, Callicarpa and Cotoneaster are just 4 of the berried shrubs on offer at the moment. Along with a range of stunning grasses, including Pennisetum Rubrum and Bronze Carex, there is much to choose from to make the most of the new season.

Why not take advantage of the warm weather and get into your garden this weekend to finish (or start?!) the autumn clear up, and see if you can squeeze one of these wonderful plants in anywhere.

Even if you don’t have room to plant a perennial or shrub, you will definitely find space for some Wallflowers, which are now in stock as bare-rooted plants at £3.95 for a pack of 10. In colours from cool pink to vibrant orange, these are the most fantastically easy flowers to just pop into the ground and forget about until they burst into gloriously scented flower in early spring. There is only a short window of opportunity in which we can sell them, so come and grab some soon.

If you don’t have a garden at all, then ring the changes in your pots or window boxes. Cyclamen and winter bedding are now available, or why not try using grasses for a change? Under-plant with spring flowering bulbs to get a double-whammy without the extra work!

We have a large stand displaying a great range of spring flowering bulbs, from delicate snowdrops and English bluebells (please don’t be tempted to buy Spanish bluebells, because they are thugs and are stamping out our native bluebells in swathes), through cheery Narcissi, to the very showy parrot Tulips – and everything in between. We are showcasing two brand new bulb varieties – a Hyacinth that is such a dark purple it is almost black, and a delicate white tulip with a pink lip, called Diamond Jubilee. The black Hyacinth in particular is rare and will, I’m sure, become very sought after. Stocks are limited, so if you’re interested come and see them before they all go. I’ve planted up a vintage colander with them and know it’ll look stunning in a few weeks when in flower.

We’ve changed the shop around to accommodate some of the many new products we’ve sourced, including a range of exceptional door mats, called Hug Rugs. They suck up mud and water in a flash, are machine washable, and 100% UK manufactured in a small factory in Yorkshire. Our regular customers know how delighted we are when we can bring you a new high quality product that is UK made, so this is a great addition to our range.

Also new in is a small range of Felco secateurs. These iconic red handled tools have been copied by many, but never improved upon. If you own just one quality tool, then a pair of Felcos has to be it!

Hmm …. what else can I tell you about?

Oh yes! Olive firewood is back in stock, so you can light your fire or wood burner again on the cooler evenings and enjoy the extended warmth and glorious aroma these logs produce. I was away last weekend in the depths of the Sussex countryside, and made sure I took a bag with me, which was very much enjoyed. We now also stock really rather clever boxes of kindling, which, when empty, can be easily broken up and used as kindling themselves. Such a smart idea! We also stock boxes of ‘local’ (ie from the UK) hardwood and kiln dried ethically sourced hardwood too.

There are lots of other new items in the shop, including a topped up range of indoor pots and planters, funny key hangers, new hand creams, quirky kids’ watering cans in the shape of elephants, with lots more to come over the next few weeks … all in preparation for ‘The Big C’. (And for those of you who have been asking …. Fear not, as yes, we certainly WILL be doing our annual November pre-ordering of Christmas trees! But you will have to wait for next month’s newsletter to get the full lowdown on that.)

Well, I seem to have rabbited on for far too long, but I hope it’s been informative and useful. Sally has her usual wonderful ‘Garden Tasks’ for you below. There’s still a surprising amount to do in your garden (I’m feeling very guilty that I haven’t done half the things on her tasks list from LAST month yet!) so get out there while it is still dry and warm.

Hope to see you soon!

Karen

Opening Hours

Monday to Saturday: 9:30am – 5:30pm
Sundays and Bank Holidays: 10am – 4pm

Except

Jan: 10am – 4pm (Fri, Sat and Sun only)
Feb, Aug, Nov: 10am – 4pm (every day)

Web: www.alleynpark.co.uk
Email: info@alleynpark.co.uk
Phone: 020 8670 7788

Rear of 77 Park Hall Road
(Entrance opposite Café Rouge)
West Dulwich, London SE21 8ES

Garden jobs for October 2013

I’m looking forward to the autumn colours which should be at their best this month. Make sure you visit gardens and parks to really enjoy the season, as well as getting out into your own garden to get it ready for the quieter winter months. I visited Wakehurst Place last weekend where there were carpets of cyclamen under trees and the promise of a blaze of colour.

My top two jobs for October:

1. Get the lawn ready for the winter months and improve it for next year at the same time. I gave details last month of how to scarify, aerate and fertilise the lawn, and it's really worth spending time on it.

2. Tidy your outside space, be it a garden or balcony, ready for the winter months. It's nicer to look out on a clean, cared for space, than one with dying plants and weeds.

Planting

Many trees, shrubs and herbaceous perennials are better planted in the autumn because the soil is still warm and there’s time for lots of activity below ground, with roots active enough to establish before the winter. Deciduous trees and shrubs, and flowering perennials should all perform better in their first summer if planted now.

If you are planting in new ground, or recently cleared ground, dig in some good compost or horse manure. Most people reading this live in London and most of us have clay soil. A clay soil is nutritious and will support many plants, but you need to improve the drainage so that plants don’t sit in wet soil in the winter, and bake in dried out soil in the summer. Breaking down clay with good organic compost and digging in some grit helps drainage enormously.

Autumn and winter colour

Plant containers with winter pansies, violas, cyclamen or heathers; evergreen perennials such as Heuchera and evergreen ferns do well in containers too. Try using small shrubs for evergreen height and structure which can be planted out in the garden when they outgrow the pot. All you will need to do is replace the bedding in spring and autumn.
Have a look at plants in the garden with worthy seed heads for winter structure and interest such as Sedums, Echinacea, and various Eryngium as they all have lovely profiles. As well as looking good, many seed heads are a food source for birds.

Spring colour

Karen has mentioned wallflowers and bulbs – they really are worth a bit of effort in the next month or two, to give wonderful displays in the spring.
Plant bare root wallflowers as soon as possible after buying them. They may look at bit floppy, but will soon pick up.
When planting any bulbs, think about the drainage, and if necessary add a handful of grit in the planting hole. If bulbs sit in wet soil, they may rot. As a general rule of thumb, plant the bulbs at two to three times their own depth.
Tulips can be planted towards the end of this month – they are more prone to disease than other bulbs, hence planting them later. Bumper packs of tulips enable you to plant in larger numbers for a bigger impact, or to have several matching potfuls lining a path or dotted as focal points around the garden next year.
If you can’t work out where to plant snowdrops, they can be planted in pots, with a 50:50 compost and sharp sand or grit mix, and put out in the winter months when you see a gap. The same process can be used with cyclamen coum, a very pretty little cyclamen which will naturalise in a shady spot over a few years.
For a lovely potful of colour next year, layer bulbs in a pot. Try tulips on the bottom layer, dwarf narcissi, and then grape hyacinths. When they come up in the spring, pop in a collar of pansies or violas to show them off.

Garden maintenance

Leaf fall

As the leaves begin to fall, keep up with clearing them. Leaves sitting on the lawn deprive the grass of light, so should be cleared, but they can be left in appropriate places such as shady beds and the back of borders, where they can decompose into the soil.
Get rid of any diseased leaves in the waste bin. In general, leaves can be composted, but remember that leaves can take longer to break down than other things you put on the compost heap. Shredding leaves, by mowing them, speeds the decomposition process in the compost bin.
Alternatively, you could make leaf mould. If you don’t have a separate area to compost leaves in this way, a few bin liners will do the job. Make a few holes in the bags and moisten the leaves sporadically, and in two years’ time you’ll have rich dark compost.
Cover ponds with netting to prevent leaves falling in, but leave access for wildlife.

Plant maintenance

Any herbaceous perennials which have got too big for the space, or which aren't looking as healthy as they used to, can be lifted and divided, and the strongest portions replanted. Later flowering perennials which are still looking good should be left until the spring.
Cut back and compost summer bedding and annuals once they have finished flowering.
Plants with attractive seed heads can be left in for their winter silhouette. Hydrangea and Allium flowers can be dried for winter arrangements.
Cut back climbing roses and other climbing plants and tie them in to prevent wind damage in the autumn and winter.
Cut back late summer flowering shrubs once their show is over. Lavender should be deadheaded and can be cut back into the green stems.
Move evergreen shrubs if you have had a rethink.

General maintenance

Before the winter is upon us, it’s worth having a general clean and tidy around the garden, fixing, mending and storing away.
Check fences and trellis and repair as necessary
Drain and store away irrigation hoses and equipment, once the need for watering the garden is over.
Clean paths, decks and patio areas.

Fruit and vegetable garden

Whatever fruit is left on apple, pear and other fruit trees should be picked now.
If you are storing fruit, choose only ‘perfect’ fruit, with no sign of damage or disease. Pack dry fruits in a single layer in crates, not touching, and with good air circulation.
Remove fallen fruit from around trees and shrubs before it rots.
Put grease bands around the trunks of fruit trees to deter winter moth damage.
Late autumn is a good time to plant garlic. Break the bulb into cloves just before planting and bury, point side up, at a depth of 3-4 centimetres, in well drained moisture retentive soil, in a sunny position. Don't use supermarket garlic!
Sow seeds, such as broad beans and winter lettuce. .

Preparing for cold winter weather

A good layer of compost or horse manure around established trees and shrubs, including fruit trees, roses and wisteria will be of benefit, and help to produce stronger growth and more flowers in the spring.
Mulch around more tender plants to keep their roots warmer. Bark, compost or other materials can be used to help trap the summer warmth in the soil.
Check your stock of fleece to protect delicate plants and bubble wrap to protect pots.
Make space in greenhouses and conservatories to bring tender potted plants inside.
Stand pots on feet or bricks to prevent water logging.

Pests and disease

Make sure you remove weeds which can act as a host for pests and diseases over winter.
Clean pots out really well when you empty them of summer bedding, to get rid of any pest problems.
Squirrels are a real pest in our gardens. Unfortunately it's a case of living with them but making their lives as difficult as possible. At this time of year they dig up and eat corms and bulbs, especially crocus and tulip, and perform amazing feats to get at bird food. You can deter them from newly buried bulbs with a wire mesh and there are several good squirrel proof bird feeders available. Some people say that squirrels don’t like chilli, so you could try sprinkling some in key areas.
If you suspect the presence of vine weevil in your pots (the tell tale signs are notches chewed on leaves), use an appropriate killer to stop the grubs which feed on plant roots.

Wildlife

Clean out nesting boxes for birds, and put up some new ones.
When tidying and cleaning in the garden, leave somewhere for wildlife such as hedgehogs and toads to hibernate as we head into winter.
Feed the birds!! They will keep coming to your garden if you keep the feeders topped up, and leave some water out for them too. They begin to need more calories as the temperature drops and fat balls and suet blocks fit the bill.

Enjoy the autumn days and reward a hard afternoon's work with tea and cake!

Sally

Opening Hours

Monday to Saturday: 9:30am – 5:30pm
Sundays and Bank Holidays: 10am – 4pm

Except

Jan: 10am – 4pm (Fri, Sat and Sun only)
Feb, Aug, Nov: 10am – 4pm (every day)

Web: www.alleynpark.co.uk
Email: info@alleynpark.co.uk
Phone: 020 8670 7788

Rear of 77 Park Hall Road
(Entrance opposite Café Rouge)
West Dulwich, London SE21 8ES