October - making the most of the sunny days.

Oh Joy of Joys !

Not only do we get to see a glowing moon, but we get the promise of some sunny days - oh sing choirs of angels!

We are on bonus time of gorgeous blue skies ...which means time to catch up on unfinished tasks and a spot of sun basking.

But before you begin the work just take a close look at some of the shapes and colours that are emerging. Extraordinary. The light is less glaring at this time of year which accentuates the shadows. Somehow the quality of the light brings out the best of the textures and tones.

Orange and blue are opposites in the primary colour wheel which means they show each other off. (It was this colour wheel that helped bring on the Impressionist art movement; colour contrasts, compliments and hues were studied and used to dazzling effect).

Did you know that it is the unwanted toxins of the plants that create the bright Autumn colours in the leaves of deciduous plants? What a fabulous use of waste. I wish I could be so creative though I did get pretty excited at the quality of my kitchen compost after I added a handful of earthworms and some spadefuls of soil. Sad I know - but there it is.


Top-tips for October

• Get your spring-flowering bulbs planted planted but leave the Tulips for another month as they are susceptible to something called tulip fire ( no - you don't need a fire-blanket).
• Fallen leaves may look charming but won't do your lawn any favours - sweep them off asap if you want to keep the good looks. There is still time to scarify, spike and top-dress.
• If keeping the lawn 'beautiful' under the trees is too time-consuming then consider planting bulbs and allowing the grass to grow longer. You could add wildflower 'plugs' in spring.
• Keep your very woody prunings separate from the softer ones ( leaves, unwanted veg etc). Nothing like a bonfire for the woody pile and nothing like adding soft leaves with soil to the compost bin. 
• Ash from bonfires offers plenty of Potassium for next years growth which strengthens fruits and flowers ( which is why traditionally it was put around the base of roses and in orchards).
• Well composted garden and soft leaf waste offers plenty of Nitrogen for green growth but importantly improves the quality of the soil.

And don't stand too near the bonfire when you are taking in those yoga-like healthy deep breaths or you will end up like I did this weekend - doubled up and gasping for air whilst pretending that you meant to go red in the face to match the emerging Autumn colours.

                             

September; it's a garden Jim, but not as we know it.

I had a bit of a shock coming back from my mini-break ( no - that's not my garden above).

Shrubs bent double, bedraggled roses and where there had been glorious life - a rather messy heap of fading flowers. The rain on a bank holiday in a rather gloomy afternoon didn't help.

It was a garden - but not as I left it a week ago.

I think my surprise was also due to the fact that a few days earlier I had been at one of the finest period gardens in England - Kiftsgate Court Gardens in Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire. They had had exactly the same weather but somehow they had managed the changes better and got it right.

So what were they doing that I was not?

Here are some observations that you might find helpful;

• The roses ( including the famous 'Kiftsgate' variety ) had been ruthlessly cut back and where sensible had been carefully dead-headed. All the energy was therefore going into producing and sustaining the second flush of blooms. 
• The tall herbaceous plants that were likely to collapse had been staked up - often with fanning Hazel or Birch twigs which blended into the borders.
• Dying herbaceous stems and blooms had been removed to prevent mildew.
• Shrubs that were likely to collapse into an unattractive heap after heavy rainfall (such as Hydrangeas) had been kept to an appropriate size by good pruning earlier in the year.
• The fading leaves had in some instances been allowed to remain on certain plants due the interesting colours and textures they were offering.
• Timber duck-boards had been put on the grass paths where water collected so they didn't become a quagmire.
• There was still a thick layer of mulch preventing weed growth in areas that would otherwise have been difficult to reach with a hoe.
  
  

Of course we don't all have acres of gardens and a team of gardeners to work one''s land. But applying these principles will help keep the good looks of the garden. 

Finally - a reminder of other jobs for September ;

• Raise the level of the blades on your mower as the grass growth is slowing down.
• The soil is still warm and becoming more moist - absolutely ideal conditions for planting everything from trees to perennials.
• Now the birds have finished nesting you can cut back deciduous hedges such as Beech and Hawthorn. 
• Give your evergreen hedges a final trim before the cold sets in.
• Keep deadheading tender perennials in order to extend their flowering season.
• Put netting over ponds in anticipation of the leaf fall.
• And the bit I enjoy the most; start leafing through your catalogues to plan your autumn bulbs and winter planting campaign.

Who knows - we might even get an Indian summer? We have had the hottest summer on record I am told. But try telling that to the ducks.