Autumn time

After a long Summer and a very mild start to the Autumn in England, It's time to put the Garden to bed for the year again. Most of my Shrubs are now trimmed back and the Summer bedding flowers have been removed, to be replaced by the Spring Primroses & Winter Pansies now. I lifted the Dahlias last week and cut off the stalks, just leaving the bare tubers.
These are now drying off in my Greenhouse, on the staging. In a week or so i'll be putting them into a large box , covered with compost or peat. To protect them from Winter frosts.
So the garden is looking very bare now after a riot of colour this Summer.
I have also cut back my Climbers on the fencing and mown the lawns for the last time this year.
Frosts are now expected in the mornings, so not ideal to be walking on the grass after those.
It resulted in a few visites to the local re-cycling plant, with all my Cuttings and dead plants again. All that I have to do now is prune my "Robinia" Tree, though at present it still has nice golden coloured leaves on that. I might even have problems reaching the higher branches!
Though I have an Extendable pruner, which takes out the stretching Involved.
Also the Greenhouse needs cleaning now and a disinfectant is recommended , to kill off any bugs lurking in the staging or framework. Always best to start in Spring with a very clean Greenhouse and also clean trays too. Another task to be done.
It all stops any problems with Germination and pests that can Infest your Greenhouse.
Ponds also need the fallen leaves taking out, otherwise the water gets polluted with rotten leaves. The Frogs will be hibernating too, in a cosy place in the compost heap or under slabs.
So best not to disturb them Compost heap till after March, when they begin appearing in the Ponds again. Still time to plant the Tulip & Daffodil bulbs for Spring flowers.
Finally....clean all your garden tools and under petrol mowers as well.
Hopefully Spring won't seem to far away, to begin sowing seeds once more!!
I'm off to Hibernate till March now! Happy Gardening! Tim.

My Summer Garden Photos

These are a few photos of how my Garden is looking right now, in July 2006. Just about at it's best for the season I think. The recent heatwave brought everything on quicker than usual, so maybe a few things will be over by August, unless a few showers of rain revive the plants. Anyway, it's looking very colourful at the moment.
It's a constant task of "deadheading" plants, to make sure they keep producing new flowers.
Otherwise the seed heads take all the strength out of the plants, instead of putting their energies into new flowers. A regular feed with either Tomato fertilizer, or another Container/Hanging basket feed, diluted according to the Instructions...will also prolong the flowering season too.
Roses will benefit from a granular Rose Fertilizer at this time of year too, to help make another batch of flowers, after the first ones have ended. Always remove the Dead rose heads too, by cutting them off about 3 Inches from the flower buds.
There is a lot of Greenfly (Aphids) around at this time of year, so spray these with a mixture of Water & Washing up liquid. They seem to hate soapy water!....and its a more Organic and safer way to kill these Insects. Insecticides can be harmful to the skin and eyes, so if you did get it on you, always wash well with water afterwards.
Now is the time to sow Primula seeds for plants for the Autumn.
So these can be sowed in a tray and kept in a cool place but with plenty of light.
Primroses/Polyanthus are Ideal for planting together with Daffodil and Tulip bulbs for Spring Flowers. Wallflowers can also be sown now too.

Garden Ponds

A Garden pond is a nice place to sit next to in Summer. If planted right around the edges, you can attract some Wildlife to your pond area, which is nice to sit and watch. Mine has a few Frogs and Newts in the pond, though Birds also like to take water in the hot weather and also you might get the occassional Dragonfly too.
Some ponds suffer from a green weed, that covers the surface of the water, which is very hard to control. It's usually Introduced by a plant that you bought, which had it around the root in the pot. So all you can do is drag a net over the surface, to scoop off as much as possible. Be careful though not to take out any tadpoles or snails. The pond plants can grow a lot in warm weather, so they need trimming back and keeping the water area tidy.
Also in Hot weather you'll need to top up the pond, as evaporation lowers the water level.
Despite droughts, you are allowed to top up Ponds, if wildlife in them , are threatened by lack of water. Remember to also Include oxygenating plants in the Ponds, as these keep the water clear and help airate the water for Fish or other Inhabitants.
In Autumn you'll need to remove any dead leaves that fall in the water and cut back the surrounding pond plants, as they die back .
They can be a lot of work to maintain, but I think they are worth it and add a nice feature to a garden. Liners for ponds can be either, PVC or a Butyl Liner, which is very long lasting...or even a pre-cast Fibre Glass shaped pond. All have their advantages.
Holes when dug, should have sand put around the area, before the liner in laid.
This will stop any stones from puncturing the liner....so use a lot of sand. Check for stones before laying the liner in the hole made for the Pond. Also check with a Spirit level, that the pond is level! This will help when filling with water, as the water will be then be level around the sides of a liner. The area around the pond can then be planted, using plants that look natural around a Pond. But avoid any bamboo type plants, that have "needle like" roots!!...which can puncture holes in a liner. On the edge of the liner, bricks or slabs can be laid, which helps keep the edges of the liner in place.

Gardening Shows

This time of year there are a lot of Gardening Events to visit, usually starting with the Chelsea Flower Show, then there is the "Gardeners World "Live"" (Photos above) that I usually visit each June, with a few friends. These shows give you a lot of Ideas and Inspiration for your own garden i think . Also how to use plants in certain positions and how you could improve your garden. Also techniques the experts use and solving problems with plants.
There are also many stalls at these shows , where you can purchase plants of all types and garden equiptment, furniture for gardens, water gardening and also talks by the TV Gardeners too. In fact anything connected with gardening & leisure, is found at these events.
The Horticultural Marquee is a showground to the RHS Displays. You'll see the best of certain varieties, like Delphiniums, Geraniums, Fushias, Sweet Peas.......etc, etc.
The photos above give you an idea of what to expect!.

Hanging Baskets

The end of May is the time I make my Hanging Baskets. You buy a basket, usually made of a thick plastic wire coated framework, then lined with either a ready made Coconut matting material, or just black polythene would do.
You then make sure you have enough polythene at the base to collect water, so the basket never dries out completely. You then add Compost, containing a gel and feed, that helps conserve water and also slowly releases feed to the plants.
About halfway up the basket, cut slits in the polythene , to add plants like Impatiens (Busy Lizzies) through the sides , into the compost.
Then gradually build up the compost layers, as you add further plants to the basket.
At the front of the basket you might add a Surfina Petunia (Trailing ), then others could be, Geraniums, Trailing lobelia, Fushias, nepetia, pansies, bidens,Million bells,.....in fact quite a few could be used.
Always nice to have trailing plants near the edges of the baskets, with taller ones in the centre.
After planting up, soak well with water and then start feeding with a Tomato Fertilizer or general plant feed, twice a week. This will encourage flowering till October.
Remove all dead flower heads and make sure the bracket on the wall is secure too.
The Baskets can get rather heavy after watering.

STAPENHILL GARDENS (Burton-on-Trent)

I expect that most towns have an area set aside as a "Public Gardens", for the Residents of that town to enjoy. Ours also is one of them, here In "Burton-On-Trent', In Staffordshire.

This is known as "Stapenhill Gardens", which is located just by the River Trent.

In April they have a "Tulip Festival" and this year the Gardens look outstanding again.

Full of Tulips & Primroses, in various colour shades and very Impressive it all looks.

The main feature is the "Swan", which has been part of the Gardens for Decades now.

Each year planted up with various plants and makes a good vocal point in those gardens.

Springtime

Photos above show that Spring finally did arrive in England!
The Daffodils, Tulips & Primroses all looked very colourful again after such a very cold & dreary Winter. The photo above with the Pond & Pot Containers, is a Garden I tend to nearby and it has been a blaze of Springtime colour . The landscaping of It I did over the last few seasons.
The Greenhouse view is my Greenhouse at present. Full of young bedding plants.
The Arbour & Pond , was the project I did last April & May. This year that Cottage garden should be more established too.

Chatsworth House visit,

April 15th.

Set in the Derbyshire countryside, Chatsworth House is a very popular destination for tourists.

Home of the Duke & Duchess of Devonshire.

The gardens are very well set out and they Include an Impressive water fountain and various sculptures around the gardens too. The Greenhouses were full of flowering Camelias on my visit and were as Impressive as the Greenhouses I'd seen at Kew Gardens in London a few years ago.

The Gardens were designed by Capability Brown and are very well cared for today.

The Cascade fountain is always popular with familes and the kids enjoy being in the water too.

The gift shop is very well stocked and there is a good resturant there too.

Parking was a bit difficult the day i went, though it was Easter Saturday afterall.

But I was suprised it was so busy, with the gardens not yet having too much colour.

Having had a late Spring here in England this year.

For more Information on Chatsworth, their website is www.chatsworth.org

Another good place to see is the nearby Farm Shop, in the village of Pilsley.

Plenty of fresh grown produce and much of it produced on the Chatsworth estate too.

Most gardens are now looking very Springlike, now that the Tulips & Daffodils are coming out.
These are a few of the flowers on my Garden.
Later than this time last year though!...as Spring arrived late here in the UK this time.
However, it does make a cheerful sight now and the weather warming up too, so colour should be a familier feature for the rest of the gardening season. My Bedding plants are growing nicely in my Greenhouse and I still need to get a few plants from the local nursery soon, for the Baskets & Containers, that i'll plant out in late May, or Early June. I need to get a few Fushias and Trailing Geraniums and also Margarites (Daisy type plants) In Yellow and Pink. They add height to Container displays.
I'll also soon buy some Growbags, to do a few Lettuce, Radish & Cucumbers, for Salads in summer. They will be In the greenhouse, after the bedding plants are taken out.

These are the Dwarf Minature Daffodils called "Jetfire", that I have in our Rockeries at home.

They are a stunning display at this time of year.

Best grown in groups to achieve this effect.

They seem to out last normal size Daffodils and don't get damaged by high winds, being only 8ins tall. Can also be grown in containers.

I plant these bulbs in October time. Though once in, they multiply over the years and do not need to be taken out again.

Now is the time the Spring flower bulbs are coming into bloom. Tulips & Daffodils, together with the early Azaleas, such as the one in the photo, a "Blue Tit" Variety.

The Plastic Urn also shows off some Purple Tulips.

A nice time of the year when everything is emerging again after the Cold Winter.

The temperatures seem to be Increasing slightly too in our area of The Midlands,UK.

I have also now started mowing the lawns again.

A photo of Me In my Greenhouse.
I'm currently busy in there with the seed transplanting. Usually about 20 or 25 plants to a tray. So its a fiddling job!! I have plenty more to do yet as well. But doing them early, gives them time to establish themselves, before being put outside at the end of May or early June.
As you can see, my Greenhouse is Insulated with bubble wrap polythene at the moment. Though this will be removed, as soon as the coldest weather has gone in a week or so.

Another Perennial plant I like to grow, are Delphiniums.

In March they are usually available as small plants at Garden Centres and is the best time to buy them at that stage. They eventually grow to between 5ft-6ft, in various shades of Pinks & Blues & White also. They need staking up with a cane and tied to it, as the stems can easily snap in windy conditions. They Flower in May/June and maybe later on in Summer, after the first flowers have died and been cut back, the new growth soon establishes.

Best grown near a fence or in a mixed border of Perennials.

You can save seeds from spent flower heads and sow a few seeds in a pot in summer, for flowering the next year.

This is the current sight in my ponds!!
Yes, it's spawning time for the Frogs and later on there will be the Millions of tadpoles too, after they hatch from the Frogspawn.
I welcome the frogs as they are great to have in a garden, eating all the Insects & slugs which harm the young plants. In October the Frogs find a cosy place to hibernate over wintertime.
Usually in a compost heap or under bricks.
Then March they re-appear and head for the pond they were most likely born in.
No wonder I get so many returning.

This is my Patio area at the back of the house.

The Blue Bush is a "Ceanothus"(Californian Lilac). It flowers in May/June each year and makes a very stunning show of flowers on that bush. In July its best to trim it back a bit, to remove the dead flower heads and some of the growth too. There are different varieties, some that reach different heights too. This one is the biggest, that can spread 10ft if allowed.

Others form a neat clump around 3ft high.

So best to read the plant label, befiore you buy, in case the plant gets too big for its space.

This is my Pond area at the rear of the garden.
In March /April it plays host to a great number of Frogs, which spawn and create thousands of Tadpoles in there.
It also has Newts too, which are seen In April mainly, which is their month for mating. So it's quite good at attracting Wildlife to a Garden pond. At one end I have a rockery with various Alpine plants , surrounded by fine shingle.
This makes it look more attractive and deters slugs as well, which can eat the more delicate leaves.
In summer its a nice place to sit though and watch whatever is going on in the Pond itself. Sometimes the odd Dragonfly will swoop down, after the flies or birds enjoy drinking from the waters edge too. I prefer no Fish, as they are then a target for the local Cats. The Fish also eat the Frogspawn.
In Autumn all foliage needs trimming back and leaves removed from the water. Otherwise the water gets polluted.
In hot weather the pond might need filling up, as evapouration occurs. Ponds are great features to have in a garden though I think, with not much maintenance required for a "Wildlife pond".

Here is a view of my garden, taken from an upstairs window at home. It gives a good view of the length and width of the rear garden. It includes a few garden features, including Pergolas, an Arbour, a water feature, greenhouse and quite a bit of trellis fencing too. Each section of the garden I try to make different. Towards the back of the rear garden is a large pond, that has plenty of Wildlife in it, including Frogs & Newts. In Summer it encourages Dragonflies and in the past , we used to get Bats too!! These were after the flies above the water. There is another pond on the right hand side too, which is smaller, but still attracts the Frogs.
These will soon be Spawning In March/April.
We'll then get thousands of tadpoles, which will then turn into more Frogs later In Summer. The Frogs are great for the garden, as they eat the slugs , which are very damaging to young tender plants. So I like to encourage Frogs here.
Despite the large size of the garden, I don't find it too hard to maintain it. As long as It gets a couple of hours a week in Summer spent on it, It stays tidy and in control.

This is another Variety of Clematis Climber I have.
Called "Fireworks", again it produces Large Mauve shaded flowers in early Summer. It can produce a few later flowers in late August too. I generally feed these with a granular fertilizer in April and June. Some of my Clematis plants are grown in Containers, as our soil is very quick draining and they prefer moist conditions and their roots in shade.
So the containers are kept watered and gravel placed on top of the compost/soil mix for added shade.

Another variety of Clematis I have in my Garden.

"Marie Boisselot", with it's Large White flowers during Summer. Quite prolific In fact, till around August.

Each Autumn I cut the Old stems back to about 12 inches from the ground. Then In Spring it all shoots back to life.

This one covers a Green painted Trellis panel and makes a nice screen too.

Another plant I like to grow, is the Anthemis.

A typical "Cottage garden" type of plant, that is also a perennial. It's pale Yellow daisy flowers make it suitable for any border and it grows to about 12 Inches high.

You can take cuttings early In Spring, just as the young shoots are forming and these should be potted up in 3 inch pots, in a compost with fine gravel mixed in, to help the roots form. In late May or early June, these young plants can be planted outside. During the flowering season, remove any deadheads , as this encourages more flowers.

The variety in the picture(Left) is called "HC Buxton".

To enlarge photos on here "Click" on the Photos.

Sudeley Castle (Gloucestershire) , has a lovely"Secret Garden", full of various shrubs and unusual plants. Planted on a raised "walled" garden. Plants Include "Aliums", "Crocosmias","Verbenas" and other plants that like a well drained soil. This garden is at it's best during July & August. "Click" on the photo to enlarge.

Another favourite plant of mine is the Argyranthemum (Yellow Daisy) , a type of Margarite daisy. Usually available in garden centres in April -July. Not a Hardy plant, but nice for Summer Containers or borders. They grow to around 18inches and the more you take off the dead flowers, the more new ones appear. A regular feed with a soluble plant fertilizer keeps the flowers coming all summer, till Oct.
It is possible to take cuttings from none flowering stems, just below a leaf joint. They loof great planted with other flowers in "Blues" or "Pinks".

In my garden borders , I like to plant things that compliment the other plants around them.

Such as this border at home, that I planted with Blue Perennial Geraniums, a Weigela bush that has Pink flowers in May/June and a Purple Lavender and the Green/Yellow shrub behind that brightens up the border.

A mixture of Yellows, Blues, and Pinks go very well together. In the containers are Yellow Margarites and Impatiens(Busy Lizzies) and Petunias. Again, all of the same shades against coloured Gravel , looks attractive in a Garden . Setting the plants to get their heights looking correct is Important too. So checking the Plant labels is vital to know their growing height.

Clematis are a very popular Climbing plant and available in many varieties & colours. It's worth noting when you buy one, the height it can grow, as some spread to over 10ft tall.

These are usually the "Montana" types, which Flower in may/June. They then need pruning hard in July.

Others need pruning at other times of the year, like the large flowering types. These are best done in February, cutting to about 12ins from ground level. It encourages more stalks to grow and these are best tied in or to a trellis panel, to help support them.

When planting a Clematis, always make the hole bigger than required to put compost around the root ball and always water well!! Clematis do not like their roots to dry out.

Also most Importantly, plant the Clematis at least Three Inches deeper than its pot level. So that the lowest stalks are just below the soil level.

This prevents a condition known as "Clematis Wilt", where a plant gets Infected and appears Dead. In most cases it is'nt!.....so if this happens, dig it up and re-pot it , cutting off all the dead foliage. Then water it in the pot.....then eventually new growth should emerge.

The re-born plant can then be planted elsewhere!.....deeper than it was before. Roots or the base of the plant prefer a shaded position and gravel around the base. The tops like sunshine though. So best plant it in a shady position at ground level, where the plant can find the Sun as it grows on. Feed occasionally with granular fertilizer and water in dry weather.

Dahlias are an underated Flower I think and they are very colourful in Summer and last till the first Frosts In October too. Very good also as a cut flower for vases indoors. I start mine off from the Tubers that the plant grows from.

You can buy them at Garden Centres as just a Tuber root, then pot them up at the start of April, inside the Greenhouse. Slowly they will emerge and will need a large pot to get growing well in the compost. Plant them so that the stalk is just showing above the level of the compost.

Some varieties can grow to 4ft-5ft, though dwarf varieties are also available, for Container pots on Patios. Deadhead the dahlias on a regular basis and more will keep flowering. You will need to put a cane or stick to support the plants as they grow taller, as the stems get quite heavy too.

Best to tie these in and keep the stalks from breaking off. After Frosts kill them off In Autumn, you can dig them up and dry them off on your Greenhouse staging. All stalks should be cut back to the base, with just the tubers left and an inch or so of stalk. After they dry off, you can store them in a box of dry peat or compost, till Springtime.

Here is a photo of the Heleniums in my Cottage garden border.

It's a plant that can really look nice in Summer with an abundance of Yellow/Red Flowers, some varieties being just one shade. Growing to around 3ft tall, they can bush out and attract the Bees to a garden as well. In Autumn they can be cut right back to soil level, then will re-emerge the next Spring.

Also they can be lifted and divided into smaller clumps too.

Might need some support in Summer with a cane and tied in.