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.
