September Newsletter 2017

Late summer …. a time of real change, as the holidays draw to a close, and the plants, shrubs and trees in our gardens and open spaces display their final blast of colour for the year.

As I’ve said on this platform before, I really love autumn … not just for the amazingly vibrant display we get from so many of our native and imported plant-life, but also because I always feel a sense of anticipation. I know that may sound strange, but there’s something special about preparing beds and borders with mulch and manure, planting bulbs for the spring, putting in new trees and shrubs knowing they won’t do much for several months, and then just waiting. Waiting as the evenings start to darken earlier, and the nip in the air becomes more prominent. Waiting in the knowledge that nature, in this hemisphere anyway, needs time to rest, to slumber, in order to gather her strength and burst forth once again with abundance next spring. Oh, how I love it!

I don’t want to jinx it by saying this too soon, but I hope to be moving house this month or early next, and one of the things I’m most looking forward to is getting to know the new garden. It’s absolutely chock-a-block at present, with a wealth of plants and shrubs, as well as mature trees, most of which have outgrown their allocated space, so the beds are in dire need of assessment, thinning and possibly brutal removal in places. I suspect I may find all manner of less thuggish plants tucked amongst the more obvious ones, and I’m quite sure there will be all sorts of spring bulbs and early herbaceous perennials that will only show themselves next year, so lots to look forward to. This year, judicious assessment and pruning are all I’ll do, other than adding lots of well-rotted manure as a mulch which the worms will pull down into the soil over the coming months to nourish and invigorate it.

For the rest of you, who know exactly what’s in your garden, this is one of the busiest times in the gardening calendar, as it’s the ideal time to add new plants to your garden. The reason for this is that the earth is still warm and welcoming, thus allowing roots to establish quickly. However, plants are not in full growth, so can focus on just getting their roots embedded and settled in, before their winter slumbers. It means that they’ll be ready to burst out of the ground as soon as spring kicks in, and you’ll generally find that plants put into the garden in autumn are stronger, bigger and more robust by the following summer than those planted in spring. Did you notice gaps in your garden, or ‘lulls’ when there wasn’t anything in particular to focus on? If so, plant something now, that will remedy that situation next year.

As I don’t know quite what is hiding underground in the new garden, I don’t want to plant too much straight away, but will certainly be putting in some early spring flowering bulbs such as snowdrops, narcissi, scilla, bluebells and tulips. It’s simply impossible to have too many! Almost all our bulbs are now in stock, by the way, so I’m going to love deciding exactly which I want to plant. I hope you have time to come and do the same, as most bulbs can be planted now, except for tulips, which should only go into the ground once it gets a bit colder, generally in late October or November.

Of course, there are also plenty of late summer and autumn flowering perennials that look great, can be planted now, and will continue to flower for weeks to come, including:

• Anemone japonica, in shades of white and pink, single and double flowered.
• Coreopsis, mostly in vibrant ‘hot’ colours of orange and red, but also some in a delicate pink.
• Sedum, with their thick fleshy leaves, and canopy of flowers.
• All manner of glorious grasses, including Pennisetum, Carex and Miscanthus.

There is also a new crop of David Austin roses due in any day now, and (as mentioned above) now is an ideal time to plant, so why not take advantage of this later-than-usual delivery?

In our constant search for new suppliers, David, Valerie and I are about to go to a big horticultural show in the north of England. We hope to find even more of what we know you love …. from lovely native plants, to the more unusual and exotic - always with the intention of ensuring we offer you the the best quality plants at the best possible price. This means that the vast majority of our stock is grown in the UK by small independent growers. Some items, however, simply have to come from Europe, and I’m afraid you’ll see an increase in price of European stock this season. Our suppliers have tried hard to combat the fact that the pound has been hit so hard against the euro, but it’s been a losing battle, and they’ve been forced to increase their prices. However, I’m quite sure that you’ll still see that they are great value for money, and well worth the extra pounds.

There is much to be doing in the garden in the coming months, and Sally’s Garden Tasks below itemises a lot of them, but if there is ONE thing I urge you to do it’s to put down a layer of well-rotted manure or homemade compost on all your beds and borders (avoiding plants that prefer acidic soil, such as heathers, camellias, azaleas and rhododendrons). I can’t emphasise enough how much this benefits your soil, and thus your plants.

As always, to help you with your autumn preparations, we’ve got manure on special offer

Buy 3, get 4^th free!

I’ll sign off now, but very much hope to see you soon. Don’t forget to bring your reward card with you when you come … you probably have some rewards to redeem! Look out for the separate email notifying you how much you’ve earned.

Warm regards

Karen

PS I didn’t even mention all the lovely houseplants and pots Martyna has just had delivered!

Garden jobs

Although, according to the Met office, September is the start of autumn, I like to think of summer extending well through the month. Summer holidays may have left gardens and balconies looking a bit neglected, so make the most of the continuing light evenings to enjoy pottering about with some of these jobs.

2 top jobs for September

1. Choose some spring bulbs to plant out in the garden, or to create some fabulous container displays.

2. This is a perfect time to plant new shrubs, trees and perennials - the ground is warm and the roots have time to get established before getting off to a good start next spring.

General garden maintenance

• Keep deadheading plants all around the garden to prolong the flowering season.
• Give evergreen hedges their final trim of the year.
• It’s really important to keep Camellias, Azaleas and Rhododendrons watered now as their flower buds continue to develop. If they go without water, the buds may drop in spring or fail to open. These ericaceous (acid-loving) plants should be watered with rainwater but are fine to be watered with tap water if rain water isn’t available. Note that over a long period ericaceous plants watered with hard water will start showing signs of chlorosis (yellowing of the leaves). Mulch with an ericaceous compost to help avoid this.
• Herbaceous perennials which have got too big in their allotted space, or which look tired, can be divided and replanted before they die down. Water them in well.
• It’s worth mounding a good layer of compost or manure as a mulch around established trees and shrubs, including fruit trees, roses and wisteria. The idea is to trap in moisture when you apply a mulch, so make sure you have watered dry ground first.
• Start to clear away garden debris from beds and borders and from around containers.
• Keep up general maintenance around the garden, removing dead and dying leaves from plants, pulling up weeds and generally cleaning to help prevent pests and diseases overwintering.
• Remove fallen leaves from lawns and paths.
• Cover ponds with net to prevent leaves falling in and affecting water quality. Nets also protect fish from herons and other predators.
• If you have a compost bin, empty it, ready for the leaves and pruning that you will be collecting over the next couple of months. Vegetable gardens will generate a lot of compostable material too.

Container gardening

• Summer bedding containers can be prolonged by deadheading and feeding with a high potassium fertiliser such as tomato feed.
• Containers can be replanted with a range of interesting leafy plants such as grasses, ferns Heuchera and small evergreen shrubs, as well as flowering pansies, viola, cyclamen and others.
• Pop some dwarf spring bulbs such as iris, crocus or dwarf narcissi under your autumn/winter container plants - it takes no time and will give a lovely surprise early next year.
• If replanting into a container which has been planted previously, refresh or replace with fresh compost.
• For more permanent containerised plants, consider whether you need to repot, either into a bigger pot, or into the same pot by lifting the plant, pruning the roots and repotting with fresh compost. Know your plant and it's requirements before doing this.
• Think about planting a potful of bulbs - known as a bulb lasagne - to enjoy months of different colour from January right through to April or May. Larger bulbs such as Tulips go at the bottom, and smaller Iris, Scilla, Chionodoxa or snowdrops at the top. You can buy bulb combinations in packs, or make up your own mix - it’s easy to do.

Pruning

• Prune late summer flowering shrubs when the flowers have finished, including climbing and rambling roses.
• Once Lavender flowers have faded, cut the plants back with secateurs, within the green growth, not into brown wood. Doing this each year will maintain neat, compact plants and encourage more side shoots to grow. For guidance, check our notes Looking after Lavender

Planting

• Fill gaps in borders with late flowering perennials such as Sedum,Rudbeckia, Penstemon, Anemone, Salvia, ornamental grasses and much more.
• Autumn is an ideal time for planting many trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants. The ground is warm and roots have a chance to get established before the winter cold, and then have a head start on those planted in the spring, putting energy into top growth at the first hint of warmth in the spring.
• Look out for bare rooted wallflowers later this month and into October. Get them into the ground as soon as possible, for a stunning display in the spring.
• Start planting spring-flowering bulbs now in beds or containers. Most bulbs can be planted from late summer into the autumn, leaving tulips until later.
• Bulbs should be planted at the right depth - general rule is a depth equivalent to two to three times their own height. The packs give all the information you need - flowering time, height and colour, and planting distance and depth. Check our Bulb planting notes for a little more guidance.

Watering and feeding

• Ease up on feeding shrubs and trees with general fertilisers in containers, because soft new growth would be damaged in the winter months.
• Keep watering plants in dry spells to reduce stress and the risk of disease such as powdery mildew.

Fruit and Vegetables

• Remove fallen fruit from around trees and shrubs before it rots.
• Plant vegetables such as cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, kale and more to enjoy through winter and spring.
• Fix grease bands round the trunks of apple trees to trap the wingless female winter moths as they try to climb the trunk to lay their eggs, which would turn into bud eating caterpillars.
• Use netting to protect leafy vegetables from pigeons.
• Root vegetables can be lifted and stored, but leave parsnips and swedes in the ground to be frosted as this improves their flavour.
• Pinch out the top of cordon tomatoes to concentrate energy into ripening fruits. Remove any yellowing leaves and leaves which are covering the fruit. This will increase air circulation and help to reduce the risk of grey mould.

Herbs

• Pot up herbs such as parsley, mint and basil for the kitchen windowsill to enjoy over the winter.

Lawns

As the weather begins to cool, the lawn will benefit from an autumn work over. It's worth spending some time and elbow grease in the next couple of months:

Remove old “thatch” (dead grass) and moss – use a springy rake to clear the congestion that has built up over the growing season.

Aerate – to improve drainage and help protect against a buildup of moss – use an aerator designed specifically for the job, or a fork.

Fertilise – a thin layer of lawn dressing (a combination of top soil, sand and fertilisers) or horticultural sand, should be raked or brushed to fill the holes created by aerating. This will improve drainage and avoid winter waterlogging, especially in heavy clay soils.

• September is an excellent time to lay a new lawn with turf, or from seed. Take time to prepare the ground beforehand, giving it a good foundation.
• Use a lawn weed killer to control perennial weeds before the weather cools.

Pests and disease

• Keep a continued vigil against slugs and snails, and make sure you don't leave places where they can settle in for the autumn and winter months.
• Check for vine weevil in containers. Treat with appropriate chemicals or nematodes.

Wildlife

• Keep feeders topped up for the birds and leave water out for them too. If we look after bird life with food and water, they'll help us in return by eating unwanted insects in the garden.
• If thinning out plants in ponds, leave the debris at the side of the pod overnight so that wildlife can find its way back to the water.

Plant focus - Ornamental grasses

Ornamental grasses are an incredibly useful group of plants which can find a home in most gardens, as part of a broader mixed planting plan, in a prairie planting scheme or as the main focus of a garden design, providing movement and soft sound. Many are great to add to the cutting garden; others perform well in containers.

There are grasses for damp or dry soil, shady as well as sunny situations. Many grasses are at their best at the end of the summer

Here are a few good performers:

Imperata cylindrica - Japanese blood grass - clumps of narrow green leaves turning wine-red, fluffy silver flower heads in autumn. Sun/part shade, mixed borders, woodland or containers; moist/well drained soil. To 50cm high.

Hakonechloa macra - clump forming Japanese grass, clumps of arching bright yellow leaves tinged with green, red-tinted in autumn. Spiky flowerheads in autumn. Part shade, excellent container plant or front of border; fertile, moist/well drained soil. 40cm.

Festuca glauca - evergreen: densely tufted, clumps of narrow blue leaves, flowers early summer. Plant in groups/drifts. Sun, front of border, gravel garden, poor soil, well drained. 30cm.

Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Hameln’ - Fountain grass. Clump forming, dark evergreen leaves, long arching spikes flowers (rabbits tails) summer/early autumn, pale green turning to warm pale grey/brown. Full sun, moderately fertile/well-drained soil. Cut back in spring before growth restarts. 1.5m

Miscanthus sinensis ‘Morning light’ - has slim cream margins to its leaves, silky, pink-tinged panicles of flowers in autumn, ideal for small gardens and even containers. Excellent winter interest. Sun, moderately fertile, moist/well-drained soil. Cut down in spring before growth restarts.1.5m.

Panicum virgatum ‘Heavy Metal’ - Switch grass - upright metallic blue/green leaves, turning from golden yellow in autumn to light brown in winter. Nodding spikes of small purple/green flowers in late summer. Great winter presence. Sun, well drained, moderately fertile soil. Cut back in spring before growth restarts. 1m

Finally

Enjoy the start of the autumn colours, this is a lovely time of year. Start to get the garden in shape for winter, but keep enjoying time outside. Maybe we’ll have an Indian summer!

Sally