October 2015 Newsletter

What a glorious couple of weeks we’ve had! And, oh boy, didn’t we deserve it after all that rain? The rain, however, has ensured that the ground is lovely and soft for those of us wanting to plant, so make the most of it. If you need inspiration, look no further ….. the display of rich autumn hues that are in stock at the garden centre are quite breath-taking. The front tables sing with colour, showing off the vibrant reds and oranges of the Heuchera, Euonymus alatus, glorious Pyracantha, Sorbaria, and grasses. We’ve also got some lovely shrubs available for winter and spring interest, including beautifully scented Daphne and Sarcococca. Then there is the new Skimmia ‘Pabella’, with masses of berries, and rich dark leaves … ideal for brightening up a shady spot over the winter.

I can’t imagine there’s anyone who doesn’t love watching the trees changing colour at this time of year, so if you don’t already have one in your own garden to reward you each year with its amazing display, now is a really good time to plant one. I have a couple of Amelanchier in mine, which have just started turning over the last few days. As I write, the low sun is lighting them up with spectacular effect. I wouldn’t be without them. At the centre, we have lots of trees suitable for a small garden, many of them grafted so that they won’t grow beyond a certain height. There’s Sorbus, Robinia, Amelanchier, Prunus, Cornus …. the list is pretty endless. If you’re at all nervous about what to choose, remember we are here to help and advise you, and can explain how to plant and stake your new tree to ensure it thrives. Just ask!

Even if you don’t have room to plant a tree, 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. Each week we get different colours in. This week there are both dwarf and tall mixed coloured packs, and a deep red. Next week you might find pink, cream and purple …. Whatever colours you go for, 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. There’s a sheet near the till explaining how to plant them.

Cyclamen and winter bedding are now available, along with spring bulbs. We have pansies, violas, cyclamen (including Hederifolium, for naturalising) for creating bright spots of colour in your tubs and planters, as well as in your borders. Why not create a ‘bulb lasagne’ as explained by Sally in her section below? Remember that there is a bulb that can be planted almost anywhere … under trees, in your lawn, in flower beds, pots, window boxes – even indoors. Sadly, there are some lines that have already sold out with our suppliers so to avoid disappointment, get yours soon.

In her section below, Sally mentions the need to be vigilant with autumn tidying – raking leaves, keeping ponds clear and tying in climbers. It’s also a good time to sharpen the lines on any topiary or hedging you have, by giving it a clip. I trimmed my box hedging a week ago, and it’s amazing what a difference it makes to the beds they surround, by having a neat, sharp framework again. The blousy hydrangeas and sprawling geraniums (still flowering!) don’t look such a mess any more. However, I’m ashamed to say I still haven’t swept up the box clippings, so that is definitely a job for later today …

Which reminds me – have you seen our great new brooms? I just love them. In fact, when we were given a sample to try out last year, I quickly made it clear to the rest of the team that it was my favourite, and got very upset if I couldn’t find it and had to use another. The brooms are made in the US, from strong flexible natural reeds, and are just brilliant. If you ask nicely, I’ll let you try mine before you buy your own :-)

If you don’t have a garden but love to be surrounded by greenery, you’re bound to find a houseplant (or 6!) to suit you. Sourced by Alex and housed in the Vintage Shed, the range changes each month. There are some delightful little succulents in just now, as well as wispy trailing ‘string of hearts’ and feathery ferns. There is also a new range of indoor pots in which to display them.

I recently had an exhausting 5 days where I visited 3 different trade shows (two in the north of England), but it was well worth it for the new suppliers I found. One of them produces a range of lightweight poly-carbon planters, and our first delivery from them has just arrived. The range includes planters that look like mellow Cotswold stone, and others that look like black granite, but all of which you can easily pick up with one hand. Absolutely ideal for rooftop or balcony gardeners, they are equally stylish in any outdoor space (or either side of a front door).

In the shop, we’ve had a delivery of Hug Rugs. There are some new designs, alongside the existing favourites. They all suck up mud and water in a flash, are machine washable, and 100% UK manufactured in a small factory in Yorkshire. We’re bound to get wet weather again soon, so be prepared.

With cooler, possibly wetter weather on the way, we have Olive firewood back in stock, so you can light your fire or wood burner again and enjoy the extended warmth and glorious aroma these logs produce. If you prefer, you can choose ‘local’ (i.e. from the UK) hardwood or kiln dried ethically sourced hardwood. To get your fire started, we have bags of kindling or fat sticks.

In the same vein, in preparation for the weather turning, we’re doing a special offer with the delightful umbrellas and large shopping bags we sell. They feature bold prints of birds, animals or plants, and are strong and sturdy items. The umbrellas are usually priced at £11.95 each, and the bags are normally £3.50, but this month we are offering:

***any umbrella with any bag for just £9.95***

while stocks last.

As we’ll all be spending more time indoors due to colder darker evenings, thoughts naturally turn toward our interior spaces. We have asked local ceramicist, Chrissy Silver, to display some of her gorgeous porcelain lamps and tea light holders in the shop. She says ‘I love the combination of fine translucent porcelain with electric light. I use plant pressings in paper clay. When the lamps are switched on there is a transformation as the impression becomes lit and revealed. The clay has an amazing ability to capture the detail from the plants. Depending on which plants I use I can create completely diverse effects on the surface of my pieces.’ Each piece is, of course, completely unique, and would make a wonderfully special present for someone.

Gosh! I think I’ve burbled on for quite long enough, so will hand you over to Sally, with her usual wonderful ‘Garden Tasks’ for you below.

Hope to see you at the garden centre very soon.

Karen

PS

A final little note, just to blow our own trumpet …. We have two fantastic reviews recently. One was in the Telegraph online, and one in the Times.

The Times article came out on Sunday 13 September in a London supplement, and said

‘A small but perfectly formed garden centre in West Dulwich, staffed by people who love their plants and know their stuff. This place has a range that will satisfy any urban gardener, and a shedful of vintage furniture. A hidden gem.’

And here’s the link to the Telegraph: London's Best Garden Centres

Garden jobs for
October 2015

The colours are beginning to change on trees and shrubs, heralding the autumn season, which I love. After some glorious weather in recent weeks, the temperature is bound to fall in October, hopefully not too far. Here are some jobs to get you outside on bright days in the month ahead.

My top two jobs for October

1: Critically assess your outside space. Autumn is a good time to think about what is and isn't working in your outside space, before the memory of the past season fades.

2:Tidy up fallen leaves regularly: to discourage overwintering pests and disease; to protect the lawn; and to keep terraces and balconies clean and tidy.

Plant maintenance

• Cut back and compost summer bedding and annuals once they finish flowering.
• Prune late summer-flowering shrubs once their show is over. Lavender can be pruned to keep it neat and tidy, cutting within the green stems.
• Cut back perennials which are past their best, but leave those with attractive seed heads for winter interest and silhouette such as Sedum, Echinacea and grasses. As well as looking good, many seed heads are a food source for birds.
• Prune climbing roses and tie in the stems of these and other climbers to prevent wind damage.
• Lift and divide herbaceous perennials and replant the strongest portions. Later flowering perennials which are still looking good should be left until the spring.
• Move plants which aren't doing well or aren't growing as you expected them to.
• Summer flowering perennials can be lifted and divided. Discard congested stems from the centre and replant the outer divisions.

Planting

• Plant containers with winter pansies, violas, cyclamen or heathers; evergreen perennials such as Heuchera and evergreen ferns do well in containers too. Small evergreen shrubs such as box or viburnum will give height and structure, and can be planted out in the garden when they outgrow the container.
• Many trees, shrubs and herbaceous perennials are better planted in the autumn, into warm soil with roots active enough to establish before the winter. Deciduous trees and shrubs, and flowering perennials will all perform better in their first summer if planted now.
• Plant a shrub for winter flower and scent, such as Camellia, Sarcococca, Hamamelis, Skimmia, Viburnum…there are lots to choose from.
• When planting in new or recently cleared ground, dig in good compost or horse manure. London clay soil needs to be improved the to allow 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 grit will help.

Planting for 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 will rot. As a general rule of thumb, plant the bulbs at two to three times their own depth.
• 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.
• Tulips can be planted towards the end of this month. They are more prone to disease than other bulbs hence planting them later.
• Bulbs in borders should be in groups of six or more for a good display. In containers, plant them closer for more impact.
• To get real value from a container try a bulb lasagne, a method of layering bulbs to flower at different times which looks great and extends the season. You will need a good size pot, or window box. Try a bottom layer of tulips, 6-8 inches deep, cover with bulb fibre, then a layer of hyacinths 5 inches deep then a layer of Muscari and Anemone blanda 2 inches deep. You could go for blues and whites, pinks and purples or another colour combination. Two pots planted identically either side of a door will bring huge pleasure. When they have finished flowering all except the tulips can be planted out in the garden next year, or potted up again in autumn.
• Indoors: bowls of Hyacinth and indoor Narcissi are easy to do and will fill rooms with scent later in the winter. A general rule of thumb with indoor bulbs is to plant them 4-6 weeks before you want the flowers.

Garden maintenance

• As leaves begin to fall, keep up with clearing them. Leaves sitting on the lawn deprive the grass of light and should be raked up regularly, but leave some on beds and borders to rot down into the soil. The simplest way to clear leaves off the lawn is to run over them with a lawn mower. The cutting action of the mower blades will help to shred the leaves and make them quicker to rot down.
• Leaves are a good addition to the compost heap, but remember that leaves can take longer to break down than other garden matter. Dispose of any diseased leaves in garden waste.
• Alternatively, you can try making leaf mould. If you don’t have a separate area to compost leaves in this way, special hessian leaf sacks are available. Make sure you moisten the leaves sporadically, and in two years’ time you’ll have rich dark compost.
• Cover ponds with net to prevent leaves falling in, but leave access for wildlife.
• Clean and tidy around the garden, fixing, mending and storing away.
• Check fences and trellis and repair as necessary.
• Clear away any remaining debris from vegetable gardens and containers.
• Drain and put away hoses and irrigation equipment to avoid freezing.
• Clean paths, decking and patio areas.

Lawns

• Mow the lawn for probably the last time this year.
• Renovate tatty lawns or create new grass areas by laying turf.
• Use an autumn lawn fertiliser.

Fruit

• Pick any fruit left on apple, pear and other fruit trees.
• Remove fallen fruit from around trees and shrubs before it rots.
• 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.
• Put grease bands around the trunks of fruit trees to deter winter moth damage.

Preparing for cold temperatures

• 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 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

• Generally clean and tidy up: a clean garden is a healthier garden.
• Make sure you remove weeds which can act as a host for pests and diseases over winter.
• Squirrels are a number one enemy in south east London 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 use a bird feeder with a robust outer wire cage.
• Foxes are an urban pest too. There are some good products available which help to deter them.

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.
• Birds 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, which can be provided by fat balls and suet blocks.

This is a lovely time of year, clearing up, settling the garden down for the winter. I’ll be clearing out my balcony containers next week, as well as spending a couple of days in my Mum’s garden, moving plants, burying bulbs and doing a big tidy up. A hard day’s work outside rewarded with a cup of steaming tea is hard to beat.

Sally