Deadheading pelargoniums
The garden is very quiet.
We stopped feeding the birds a few weeks ago and they don’t hang around
begging, they just fly to new pastures. The mice that accompanied the birds and
picked up the leftover seed crumbs seem to have packed up and gone too, I haven’t
seen one for ages. The same can’t be said for the neighbours though, I have
heard a few complain they seem to be infested with the little fur balls. Fly my
beauties, fly.
Deadheading annuals
Try as I might I never seem to get around to deadheading the
annuals in containers. I’m sure if I did the display would last until the end
of October. There’s just something a bit yukky about nipping the soggy petunia
flowers from their stems and trying to flick them from your fingers. Geraniums
are OK, I don’t mind pulling their old flower heads off and the plants
certainly produce more flowers so they do get looked after a bit. The rest are
left to their own devices for the year until the frost gets them.
Late Vegetable
Planting
There is still time to plant late vegetables as the soil is
still warm. Up until the end of October there is a good range that can be sown
to supplement the leeks, parsnips and Brussels that will be maturing nicely.
Broad beans
Autumn-sown broad beans help to slow down nutrients leaching
through otherwise fallow soil, which allows its structure to deteriorate. They
are ready a good month earlier than those sown in April, and they don't get
black fly.
Asparagus
Asparagus varieties are now available for autumn planting,
which helps them establish that bit quicker. You do wait for two years before
you can cut them - or four in my case because I keep forgetting they are there
(and the dog sits on the young shoots).
Peas and pea shoots
For a late spring crop, it's worth trying sowing seeds now. If
you sow direct into the ground, plant them one inch deep and relatively closely
at about one inch apart, to make up for a higher loss rate. I enjoy the pea
shoots too and these grow well in a tunnel all winter.
Garlic
This is the easiest crop to grow. Plant the cloves
individually to a depth of 2.5in deep on light soils and a lot less deep on
heavy soils one inch below the surface. They will do well in planters too.
Onions, spring onions
and shallots
There are quite a few varieties of onions from sets that can
go in now. This is the easiest way to grow onions, and they can be harvested
earlier on in the year.
Winter lettuce and Lambs
lettuce
It is useful in that it does not need high light levels and
tolerates low temperatures, and so can be sown up until the end of October
outside; it can be picked until December or into the new year with some fleece
or milder weather.
Spinach
I pick it younger and just wilt the leaves rather than ruin
it with overcooking. The young leaves are great in salads, too.
Spring cabbage
You can thin early plants for spring greens and leave the
rest to heart up. Watch out for pigeons.
Don’t forget the
Perennials
You might see some late perennials in gardens at this time
of year. They have been waiting patiently to flourish giving us a last burst of
colour.
Japanese anemones are always a favourite. Tall and bold,
their simple flowers in shades from pink to white really celebrate the season.
Commonly called Ice Plants, the thick fleshy foliage of
sedum varieties add interest throughout the year, from the moment it develops
in spring. Their flowers come in eye-catching colours from pure white to pink
and red, proving as attractive to us as they are bees and butterflies.
As well as flowering plants, don’t forget that many
perennials form attractive seed heads too, and these can be enjoyed right
through autumn and into winter.
Favourites include cone flowers (Echinacea and Rudbeckia),
globe thistle (Echinops), sea holly (Eryngium), agapanthus, ornamental grasses,
and bulbs like the Pineapple Lily (Eucomis).
Asters , Michaelmas Daisies and Verbena are also favourites.
