The Autumnal Garden

t is quite easy to fall into the trap of getting all misty-eyed about the beauty of autumn; as the conkers start plopping from the trees, we become almost like the poet Keates, in our appreciation of the crinkly brown landscapes.

But, once the clocks go back and the nights draw in, what we need is bright colours to stand out from the russet and stave off depressing thoughts of winter.

The weather is often fine enough to spend the whole day in the garden and so, there is no excuse for not making the most of what nature has to offer at this time of year.

Now is the time to buy bulbs, so your garden will spring into life after its period of hibernation. Buy as many as you can, of different varieties. Try the Narcissus cyclamineus hybrids, such as ‘Jack Snipe’, which will keep your display working from January to May. Ask our staff for the type of bulbs that will best suit your requirements.

It is now time to plant bulbs for spring

Plant your bulbs now, because the ground is not hard and you can establish the roots before the weather closes in. Save your tulips till last, because you can plant them as late as December. Ian, our garden expert, says that the rule of thumb is to plant bulbs three times their depth and scatter them around.

An alternative, is to plant your bulbs in pots, so you can move the scenery around; middle eastern bulbs, like tulips and fritillaries are good when potted, but others, like the woodlanders, Erythronium and Galanthus, need to be placed straight in the ground.

October, is the time to start planting, but do not plant evergreens in exposed areas, as they may dry out in the cold. Leaves are everywhere at this time of year, and you should let them stay where they fall, unless they threaten to brown the grass of your lawn or become a hazard on a path.

Autumn is also a good time for sowing your lawn or harvesting pumpkins, which you should put inside. Pick those apples and store if you want them to last the winter.


Time to harvest pumpkins

We didn’t get too much rain over summer, so we are losing flowers and bushes and many horticulturalists are praying for rain. Autumnal crocuses, meadow saffrons and cyclamen are thriving, but flowers like the Michaelmas daisy and herbaceous perennials are suffering.
Autumn is now warmer and wetter than we have been used to, but if we have a cold winter, we may have a short gardening spell, so make the most of it.