TIMES THEY ARE A CHANGING
It’s the start of the end in October. There is a different feel in the air and I absolutely love it, the colours in the garden change and the light also has a wonderful warmth to it… when it’s not raining and howling a gale but I love the start of Autumn so I’m going to romanticise it and picture it the way I’d like it to be.
I like to think of this time of year as putting the garden to bed but actually there is so much to be done to prepare for next year. A great job to do now is to sow sweet peas ready to plant out next April. They will need to be sown in deep seed trays and potted onto grown good strong plants. Keep them in the greenhouse or on a windowsill, it’s going to get too cold for them outside but getting a head start now, will mean you will have those gorgeous scented blooms much sooner next year. I’m already looking forward to them.
TRY TO EXTEND DAHLIA SEASON
Keep on dead heading these beautiful blooms right up until the first frosts, when their foliage will blacken and you’ll have to say goodbye for another year. But enjoy them right until the end. I weather watch and when I know it is going to turn, I cut them all into vases and enjoy them inside for the last precious days.
IN THE GARDEN NOW
Plant out spring bulbs but not tulips. I’ve always been told to plant tulip bulbs after the first frost and I’m sticking to that rule.
Dry seed pods. Being a florist, I use all the seed pods and dried flowers for arrangements throughout Autumn and Winter. I’ve already cut back and dried my Alliums, Poppies and Scabious and I have trays of lovely sunflower heads too, some for decoration and some for the seeds.
Get ahead with your veg. You can sow garlic and broad beans this month too for eating next year. I’m always jealous of all the allotments at this time of year and with I’d paid more attention to growing my vegetables. I see large leeks and sprouts coming into their own, potatoes and parsnips still being dug and apples and raspberries being picked and eaten. Every Autumn I promise myself that next year I’ll grow to eat and every spring I have sown too many flowers and my beds are full.
One day I’ll get the balance right.
Hi, i’m Jess
NEW VENTURE
This picture may look like a simple field of grain but to me, it pictures my future. This field has, by now, been harvested, ploughed and planted with shrubs and flowers and will be my new cutting garden.
I will be embarking on a new business venture growing cut flowers. I’ve been moving in this direction very slowly for years now but 2020 has given me time to push forward and take the plunge. I will add pictures of my progress into future articles and keep you up to date on my successes and failures.