GARDEN
PAGE
As this garden grows, you
should find plenty to keep you interested.
If you need a monthly 'task' checklist, ideas,
tips, etc... then 'Garden Page' is for you!
Renowned for being a nation of dedicated
gardeners, we hope you'll find this page useful,
and we welcome any tips from o'er the fence! Just
drop us an e-mail at the following address and
you could well see your advice on this page: Yorkshire
2000
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Calendar
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JOBS for November!
The gardens are full of falling leaves at the
moment, which can be a pain. But the colours are
great! Continue collecting the leaves from around
the garden. These are ideal for compost. Stick
them on the heap or in composting bags and water
with a leaf composting activator. Leave alone for
them to rot down into valuable leaf mould. This
time of the year you need to beware of the frost.
Perennial bedding plants such as pelargoniums,
need to be lifted from the borders straight away.
The impending frost will finish them off if this
isn't done soon. Upon removal they should be
potted and placed in conditions which are frost-free.
The same goes for some imported terracotta pots.
These too can be damaged, so it may be wise to
empty them and place them in storage for the
winter.
Variegated shrubs need to be checked for signs of
reversion. Any green shoots need to be pruned out
at the base as soon as they are seen. If left
unchecked these shoots can quickly take over and
unbalance the plant.
Larger evergreen shrubs which you may have in
pots, such as conifers and camellias are also
prone to damage if their compost freezes. Place
them in a sheltered position, or insulate.
If you fancy abit more colour through the winter,
why not take the time now to plant up a couple of
patio tubs. Bulbs can be used here, as can
pansies and heuchers. Trailing ivy adds to the
feature and for a taller effect, add an evergreen
shrub such as eunymous. So there you go, get
cracking!
A quick word too for Barnby Dun couple, Les and
Eileen Farmery, who recently won the Best Garden
in Britain Award.
Excellent achievement! |
JOBS for October!
The onset of winter bears upon us... :-(
But don't despair there's still plenty to be
going on with to keep you busy. Check that
supporting stakes are still holding firm and that
tree-ties grip the stake and the stem. Stakes can
be removed from trees, usually after a settling
in period of two years. This enables the plants
to establish themselves within their environment.
Herbs can now be potted up - including amongst
these, parsley and basil - bring indoors and keep
on the kitchen window-sill. They are then
available for use during the winter months. And
don't forget your mint! Wonderful plant and such
an addition to the Sunday meals. Take out afew
roots, and plant in seed trays filled with a
general purpose compost. If you then pop them
into a greenhouse or cold frame, you can expect
the young shoots to flourish.
This is a good time to plant new shrubs, trees
and hedging plants.The soil is still a little
warm this autumn and that will help the plants
tremendously. Good prep' is the key. Dig deep to
break up the sub-soil. This'll help the roots
penetrate the site. Chuck in the old compost or
plant mixture, which the new plants will thrive
on and shouldbear great results for next year.
The lawns may have been difficult to tend because
of the rain we've had just lately. But this will
have made the ground a little softer and
therefore should help us to aireate the turf. You
can do this with mechanical assitance or with the
trusty old garden fork. It's up to you, but watch
your back! Brush a soil/sand mixture into the air
holes which will help with the drainage. |
JOBS
for September!
Keep your roses trim and in good
condition by removing any unhealthy looking
leaves. Certain varieties are also susceptible to
black spot or mildew, so it may be a good idea to
spray these plants with a fungicide. Remember to
keep the ground below the roses free of debris.
Continue to deadhead the flowers, especially
hybrid tea roses and floribunda, but do not prune
the autumn hip variety.
September also means the arrival of the autumn
bulb planting season! They're out there in the
garden centres. I know that because I've just
seen 'em! Wider selections can be purchased via
many mail-order companies.
As your perennials begin to fade, cut down the
remaining flower spikes, unless of course you
want to let them go to seed. Seeds are expensive,
so it's probably a prudent thing to do these days.
Don't forget to let the seeds dry out thoroughly
before you store them away.
Indoor arrangements can also be something to
crack on with, just to add a little more colour
to the indoor environment. Flowers and seed-heads
can be cut and dried for this purpose. While we're
on about the fading flowers of the year, watch
out for your monster sunflowers. The wind is
picking up a little more as the weeks pass and
these plants can if supported by trellis, etc...
weaken the structures. May be an idea to chop
them down sooner than you would have liked if
they are causing you problems.
Perennials can be propogated from cuttings, which
will give them a good chance to get established
over the winter.
Watch out for troublesome weeds on the lawns.
Treat with a 'safe' weedkiller if required. By 'safe'
we mean children and pet friendly chemicals. Have
fun! |
JOBS for August!
Collect up herbs and hang them to
dry. Or, you can chop them up, place in water
trays and freeze. Keep dahlias supported well to
their supports and keep the roses pruned, this
encourages new shoots and maybe further flowers
later in the Autumn. Tomatoes should be picked as
they ripen. Pick out the side shoots for the
single stem formats. Ensure the plants do not dry
out and don't forget the tomato feed!
Watering is always essential in the
summer, keep all the baskets, tubs, etc...
well watered. Remove dead flowers to prevent
seeding, and tips of trailing stems to promote
side shoots. Propagate houseplants and tender the
perennials such as pelargoniums, verbena and
fuchsias. Warm windowsills are ideal for the
newly rooted plants to take a further hold. Don't
forget to feed the houseplants too!
Keep the hedges neat and trimmed and mow the
lawns every week. If you have a compost heap,
then the clippings could be chucked onto them or
used as a mulch around shrubs and trees. Nip out
the weeds as soon as they appear or treat with a
general weedkiller. Don't forget to top up your
ponds! Its surprising how much they can lose in
hot weather, and keep your waterfalls and
fountains on as much as possible. These
increase the oxygen in the water and the fish
will love it. Keep the pond free from
overgrowing water weeds. Regular hoeing works
wonders at keeping the weeds at bay. A little and
often and it won't seem so daunting. |
JOBS for July!
Regular hoeing stops annual weeds
getting out of hand. Hoe in the mornings on warm
days if possible, this enables seedlings to dry
out and die on the soil surface before they can
re-root. Cut lawns regularly, mowing twice a week
where the grass is growing vigorously. Apply lawn
feeds (granular or liquid). If weeds and moss are
causing you problems, select a combined product
to save time and perform all three jobs
simultaneously.
Keep an eye on the roses for signs of
diseases and pests. Again apply a
combined rose pesticide/fungicide where necessary.
Remove rose suckers as soon as they appear and
keep the bases of bushes free from encroaching
grasses. Any celery plants raised under glass
should be planted outdoors this month. The self-blanching
varieties should be planted in blocks. Water is
the key with these plants. Never let them dry out
in the summer. Gather up any strawberries and
trim back the foliage. Lilac too can tend to
become overgrown or out of shape at this time of
the year, so get stuck in and trim them back to a
more desirable shape and form. Any gaps between
your shrubs and perennials could be filled with
lilies, to keep up that 'full' appearance in the
garden.
Regular watering this month is absolutely
essential to keep the garden looking at its best.
Don't let all your hard work be spoilt just for
the sake of a drop or two of the old 'council pop'!
Shade tender plants under glass from the feirce
heat of the sun. Remove seed-heads from sweet
peas and keep picking the flowers. I feel these
plants are very under rated. This is a good time
to take softwood cuttings of many shrubs and
climbers, including honeysuckle. Feed flowering
plants in containers and baskets every week!
Tomato feed is an excellent source for this job.
The sunflowers should be really reaching for the
sky right now. Give them some support by tying
them to canes, trellis, etc...
If you're lucky enough to have any grapes in your
greenhouse, thin them out regularly with a sharp
knife or scissors. Keep the leaves of
cauliflowers over the curds to give some
protection from the sun and possible damage.
Begonias too need plenty of water to prevent
their buds from dropping. Ponds plants are going
well now, so keep back the blanket weed and
duckweed. |
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