September Gardening News
September is upon us. What delights will this one hold? Traditionally it’s the month that marks the turn of the season, but the muddle of the last month has had me wondering which season we are changing. August was a mish mash of a month, delivering all that meteorology has to offer. We had some blistering heat, some torrential storms, some cool nights and winds to take your head off. Things kept growing, but there were casualties, half of my underdeveloped Bramley apples are on the floor and (because I neglected to put up a trap in April), the Plum moth has wrecked what plums were there. They look as though they have peppered by a shotgun, the exit route of escaping maggots apparent on every fruit. I am also waging war against the Cabbage White Butterfly. A female can, in a short time lay around two hundred eggs and these she will spread about in clusters of twenty or so . Within two weeks the caterpillars are out and voraciously chomping through all available brassicas (that’s the cabbage family including sprouts and kale). We have been netting and spraying with Grazers (a spray that works as a good deterrent…until we get heavy rain). On dry days we see some very sulky butterflies struggling to find a place for their brood. Spraying hasn’t deterred the snails, who have also brought chaos and have messed up my beans. For all of that it has been fun and some of the flowers have been wonderful. I have a fantastic display of mixed sunflowers and modern varieties offer great colours. I have also had success with Mirabilis Jalapa (grown from seed). It is actually regarded as a perennial, forming a tuber at the end of it’s first season. It flowers in the year of sowing and displays flat trumpet like flowers in a range of jazzy colours. Check it out, it’s a bed filler and very jolly. September sees garden centres full of bulbs and winter pansies, together with wallflowers and autumn chrysanthemums. As spaces appear, fill your gaps. There is no rush, stock will be around for at least another eight weeks, but earlier planting will allow good root development and should ensure some winter colour. And finally, if you have space in the vegetable garden, onion sets and shallots will all be available soon. Don’t rush for Broad Beans though, it’s too early! Happy Gardening. Chris Evans www.dundrynurseries.co.uk www.thebutterflygarden.org
October Gardening News
That was the summer then and whilst the heat still lingers lightly, there is a real smell of autumn now. The night is sweeping in early and every day there is rubbish to clean up in the garden. The summer has been great for the gardener, with strong performances from so many things. The bedding has been stunning, and most vegetables have performed. Nature has of course repeatedly demonstrated it’s might, and we have had to wrestle with blackfly, caterpillars and a good raft of fungal issues, but on balance I thought things were good. The winter vegetables look promising too, with Sprouts and Purple Sprouting well on and Kale already being harvested. Where spaces appear in the vegetable plot we can be popping in over wintering onions and shallots, as well as garlic. Then towards the end of the month Aquadulce broad beans can be direct sown. They are worth the trouble and will bring an early crop to the table. If you have potted any potatoes for Christmas, bring them in against the side of the house. They will enjoy the shelter and the longer they grow the better the result. In the coming days there will be plenty of green waste, so tidy up your compost heap and if you feel particularly energetic strip it down to harvest this year’s compost and start again. Any recent garden waste can be introduced to the restart. The raking out of freshly made compost is very special and the material is perfect for digging into borders to give them a lift. The clearing and cleaning will also be happening in your flower borders too. Perennials want cutting back, tired bedding wants removing and overgrown plants can tied or tidied. Then you can commit to replanting. The winter bedding can all go in, so pansies, violas, wallflowers as well as sweet Williams, forget-me-nots and bellis daisies can all be planted. Make sure of some bulbs as well. There are some good bulbs to be found and as well as the usual daffodils and tulips, take a look at things like Alliums. The ornamental representatives of the onion family are very showy, offering border displays punctuated by bright drumstick heads of flower. And finally, as part of the big clean up, check fruit trees and consider greasing their stems to deter over wintering pests. Top fruit (apples, pears and plums) have all attracted the attention of pests this year and grease is the first step towards managing the 2021 visitor. Happy Gardening. Chris Evans www.dundrynurseries.co.uk www.thebutterflygarden.org
November Gardening News
Isn’t it great when seasons actually deliver more or less what is expected? I felt that October worked and that the season had turned. There were a few cold nights, some beautiful misty dawns, the occasional bright watery days of sunshine and some very soggy rough moments. Things just got beaten up and then the colour started to tease through. The growth having been so luxuriant, I suspect we may be on for a long shutdown and a never ending clean up. I have been sweeping and clearing debris for a couple of weeks already. I am just glad that last month I managed to tidy and harvest from the compost bins. Luxuriant growth creates a bigger compost heap and composting is well worth the trouble. Just don’t make it too complicated. I tend to commit all green debris to the heap. Sorting and grading at this stage can be really tiresome. So, a few of the wrong bits make it through, well you soon spot them when you access the compost. I sieve mine and then reintroduce the lumpy bits to the heap even the brambles surrender eventually, and the exertion is great for body and soul. Oh yes, now where was I? Cleaning, tidying, clipping, anchoring, tying, disinfecting, and pressure washing are all on the agenda. Try to resist cutting the lawn, but if you are in the mood spike it with your fork. If you are up for gardening, then consider bigger planting now. Fruit trees, ornamentals, roses and soft fruit as well as hedging are all moving to dormancy and settle very quickly at this time of the year. In the case of trees it will be worth staking. You can still be titivating borders too and there are plenty of bulbs around as well as autumn bedding. The pansies have been great this year and are showing real promise for winter flower, many being laden with buds. In the vegetable space, you can consider Garlic, shallots and rhubarb as well as overwintering onions. If you can find some Perpetual spinach plants and kale are certain survivors for late planting. They are good fillers and a really useful fall back when other veg is scarce. Try some by the door in a pot, it saves marching off down the garden on a grotty day. And finally take a look at Tithonia, an old fashioned, little used bedding plant that belongs to the Sunflower group. It’s very jolly and I will be giving it a go next year for sure. Happy Gardening. Chris Evans www.dundrynurseries.co.uk www.thebutterflygarden.org
June Gardening News
Was it me, or was that a quick month? Perhaps it was the Bank holidays, or maybe it was the rocket launch, the release of the pent up energies of thousands of gardeners. It certainly hasn’t been a bad month, a bit of a mish mash punctuated by one or two teasing frosts, but we have been able to get on. As we turn into June, with confidence, we can really go for it. Anything we haven’t yet planted we can now. All of the bedding can go, even those tender bits (that some cynics offered at Easter) can now be planted. I have really enjoyed the bedding season this year. It has been tough, with everything being everywhere, with smaller gardens and greater interest in permanence, but has made me look hard at what is available. I have commented before that the adventure is key to this journey and as gardeners we have been offered a playground this year. Growers generally have had access to exciting fresh material. Much is still there to buy, so if you have space or perhaps have yet to start, do shop around. There are more earthy Petunias, cheery Cosmea , stunning Nemesia, sun kissed Osteopermum, the list goes on and the adjectives do little justice. Find space and bring new life to your summer. Of course if you are ahead of all of that, well, you can always sow next seasons Wallflowers and biennials, you could even put in a packet of winter flowering pansies. Mad isn’t it? the constant advance and the preparation for the next season. On the vegetable front, the potatoes will be well up (do keep banking them up if time permits, it does increase the yield). Runner Beans, Marrows and Tomatoes and most of their relatives can go into open ground, salads can be repeat sown and you should be harvesting you first cabbage soon. Where the greens are concerned, late vegetables can be introduced as space permits, so that means January King, late sprouting, Brussel sprouts and kale, will all settle quickly, but do be watchful, there are caterpillars and pigeons around. Keep up together with light weeding, maintain watering and feed containers, a god season promises. And finally, the roses are about to put on their annual display, the bushes are well budded. Last year many plants suffered with Black Spot and Mildew in the summer, so you may want to consider a precautionary spray with some suitable fungicide. Happy Gardening. Chris Evans www.dundrynurseries.co.uk www.thebutterflygarden.org