ADVICEGARDENING
and become dormant. So it’s
the perfect time to plant them
out without causing them to
go into shock. As mentioned
earlier the weather at the time
of writing is still very warm,
so if in doubt wait a couple of
weeks for the colder weather
to really kick in.
When planting, water
well and firm the soil (not too
tightly though) to make sure
the trees are stable. Check
regularly to ensure they are
upright and have enough
water. Autumn winds can be a
problem so stake if necessary.
Also whilst on the subject of
wind, now’s the time to
support any tall flowers you
may have around the garden.
It’s not just trees etc
that can be planted at this
time of year. Now is the time
to get your spring and
summer bulbs in the ground.
Also you can replace summer
bedding with winter and
spring bedding. Plant out
violas, wallflowers and
primulas now for flushes of
colour in the coming months.
Plus...
Cut the grass one last time –
set the blades on their highest
setting, this will help to
protect the lawn from frosts.
Clean everything!
Greenhouses, polytunnels,
water butts. And bring in any
wooden garden furniture and
vegetable canes.
Drain and lag outdoor taps,
irrigation lines and water
pumps. The frosts are coming!
Get planning – Design your
garden for next year and start
ordering your seeds. Get
yourself a 2016 calendar and
mark in planting dates for all
your new seeds. If you do this
you’ll be absolutely flying next
year when the crazy growing
season kick in and time is
precious!
Any containers that are
staying outside this year
should be raised up on bricks
or similar to stop them sitting
in puddles.
The growing pace may
be slowing down but there’s
still plenty to do. I love this
time of year because we can
reflect and learn on the
summer that has passed.
It’s also a fantastic time
to set yourself new challenges,
and to choose new things to
learn about for the coming
months. We’ve got a couple of
roses that I know nothing
about – one we rescued from
an overgrown patch on the
smallholding and one that was
given to us as a gift. Both
currently look a bit worse for
wear so it’s time to find out
about the best way to care for
them. Read next time how we
got on as winter is the perfect
time to plant roses!
Send your pictures to
@andyandadams on Twitter
and Instagram.
THEGAYUK | ISSUE 16 | NOV 2015 97