This Month ... In the Garden
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This Month ... In the Garden
OCTOBER
BY DAN STEVENS , SENIOR PLANT MANAGER AT MILLBROOK GARDEN CENTRES
© Annie Spratt / Unsplash
© Rebecca Niver / Unsplash
© Jonathan Kemperr / Unsplash
Plant Winter Containers
Now is a great time to get your pots and hanging baskets potted up for the winter . Use an evergreen focal plant such as a fern , conifer or Skimmia to give structure and then choose colourful plants such as cyclamen , viola , pansy and heathers around this . More interest can be added by using small grasses such Carex and Acorus , and under planting with spring bulbs such as crocus and Narcissus to give you something to look forward to for spring . Other good choices for spring colour include primroses and hellebores which both do well in containers .
Planting Evergreens and Hedges
In October , the soil will still be quite warm and this makes it an ideal time to plant evergreen shrubs and conifer hedges . Thuja is a great choice for a conifer hedge because it does not grow too quickly , is easy to look after and provides great habitat for wildlife . When planting evergreens or conifers always make sure to prepare the ground well by digging in plenty of organic matter and use rootgrow to aid establishment and healthy root growth . Water well after planting and maintain watering in any dry spells . It is better to water deeply and less often to encourage strong roots rather than water every day .
Vegetable Garden
Clear away your old crops from this season so that they cannot harbour any lingering pests and diseases . You can keep on sowing hardy varieties of broad beans and peas to get early crops next season too . In areas where you are not intending to grow winter vegetables , sow green manure such as winter rye . This not only helps suppress any late weed growth but also draws up nutrients using deep tap roots and once turned back into the soil provides a great source of food for next year ' s crops .
Sweet Peas
Late October is the month to sow sweet peas into deep pots for strong plants in the spring . If you want a really good display this is the best way to grow them as overwintered plants are much more sturdy and healthy . They will also flower earlier in the season . Sweet pea plants are surprisingly hardy and can be sown outside or in a cold frame or cold glasshouse ; it really pays to grow them cold and only protect them if extended cold is expected or temperatures below -5 degrees . Plants sown this way should be around three inches tall by the middle of January and beginning to show side shoot growth . Plant out into their final positions in March .
Wildlife Habitat
Creating a great environment for birds in your garden doesn ’ t just have to be about providing a feeding station . There are many other ways to encourage wildlife into your garden . Planting trees , especially native species such as silver birch , hazel and field maple are great ways to increase the available habitat . Holly and pyracantha plants produce red berries loved by birds and a simple log pile in the garden provides shelter and food for a variety of insects that will in turn provide food for other animals in your garden such as frogs , hedgehogs and birds .
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