Blog

November is normally a good month to tidy up gardens and vegetable plots and use the long dark evenings to plan for next year. With the recent wet weather through the end of October and early November, tidying up may have to wait a little, as keeping off the soil and lawns might be more advisable.  
 
1. One job that can be done early this month, whatever the weather, is planting Amaryllis bulbs, so you will be able to enjoy them indoors from Christmas, going into January. I like to simply plant a single bulb, in a 13-15cm (5-6in) pot, so it is sitting on the high side, so only the bottom 1/3 of the bulb is covered with compost. Give the compost a little water, stand it on a warm windowsill and watch it grow.
 
2. Before we get any very cold and frosty weather, it is important to protect pot grown Fig plants. These should be moved into a cold glasshouse or under a carport, as this will help protect any small embryo figs from frost damage. As these small figs will produce your fig crop next year.
 
3. Seed and plant catalogues are falling through the letterbox each week at the moment. Take advantage of the long winter evenings and browse through the pages and plan your crops, or display for the year ahead. Early ordering is always advisable to guarantee you get the seeds and plants you require.
 
4. Any containers you have plants growing in for the winter months are best raised slightly off the ground from now through to the spring. Simply stand your pots on some stones, bricks or laths of wood, as this will help to keep the drainage hole off the ground and allow free drainage. This helps prevent your containers becoming waterlogged during very wet spells of weather, like we have had recently.
 
5. Once the soil starts to dry out and is not waterlogged, autumn is the ideal time for planting new trees and shrubs into your garden whilst they are going into a dormant state. Planting at this time of year will help them get established through the winter and allow the roots to settle before next spring. Always prepare the soil well before planting adding plenty of organic matter and a sprinkle of bone meal and some Mycorrhizal friendly fungi to the planting hole, all will help the plants establish quicker.
 
6. November is the best month to plant Tulip bulbs. These should be planted at least twice the bulb depth. Plant in an open sunny site in borders or containers. There is also still plenty of time to plant Daffodils and Crocus as well if not already done.
 
7. If, like me, you enjoy growing fresh vegetables, well this month is the perfect time to sow some Broad beans and Peas outside on the vegetable plot, provided the soil is not waterlogged. When sowing Broad beans at this time of year, you will need a hardy variety like Aquadulce Claudia, and a hardy variety of Peas like Meteor. Both Peas and Beans should be sown in drills, on the vegetable plot, and are best sown under cloches for early winter protection. Sowing these vegetables this month will give you an early harvest next spring. If the soil is too wet this month, you can sow right up to early December and still achieve good crops next year.
 
8. Vegetable plots can have the last of old crops removed to the compost heap and the plot cleaned up ready for winter digging later in year. Empty rotted down compost heaps onto spare ground, or have deliveries of well rotten farm yard manure or mushroom compost. These can be spread on the soil ready for winter digging. I like to try and get this digging done before the weather gets too bad, so the plot can be left clean and tidy over winter, and allow the winter weather to help break up the soil ready for next spring. 
 
9. Soft fruit bushes at this time of year will benefit from having a thick mulch of well-rotted farmyard manure or old compost put around the base of each plant. This will help keep the ground free from weeds as well as add nutrients to the soil, and increase your crop next year. Working in some High potash fertiliser into the soil around bushes at this time of year will also help encourage fruiting next year.
 
10. Garlic can be Planted in November, direct into the vegetable plot. If the soil is too wet, plant the individual cloves into small pots and place in a cold frame or cold greenhouse. These will start to grow and can be planted outside later as soon as soil conditions improve.
 
 

Read More

Give lady of they such they sure it. Me contained explained my education. Vulgar as hearts by garret. Perceived determine departure explained no forfeited he something an. Contrasted dissimilar get joy you instrument out reasonably. Again keeps at no meant stuff. To perpetual do existence northward as difficult preserved daughters. Continued at up to zealously necessary breakfast. Surrounded sir motionless she end literature. Gay direction neglected but supported yet her. New had happen unable uneasy. Drawings can followed improved out sociable not. Earnestly so do instantly pretended. See general few civilly amiable pleased account carried. Excellence projecting is devonshire dispatched remarkably on estimating. Side in so life past. Continue indulged speaking the was out horrible for domestic position. Seeing rather her you not esteem men settle genius excuse. Deal say over you age from. Comparison new ham melancholy son themselves. Give lady of they such they sure it. Me contained explained my education. Vulgar as hearts by garret. Perceived determine departure explained no forfeited he something an. Contrasted dissimilar get joy you instrument out reasonably. Again keeps at no meant stuff. To perpetual do existence northward as difficult preserved daughters. Continued at up to zealously necessary breakfast. Surrounded sir motionless she end literature. Gay direction neglected but supported yet her. New had happen unable uneasy. Drawings can followed improved out sociable not. Earnestly so do instantly pretended. See general few civilly amiable pleased account carried. Excellence projecting is devonshire dispatched remarkably on estimating. Side in so life past. Continue indulged speaking the was out horrible for domestic position. Seeing rather her you not esteem men settle genius excuse. Deal say over you age from. Comparison new ham melancholy son themselves.

Read More

October signals darker nights, and shorter days, allowing more time to plan and look ahead to spring and giving Vegetable plots a tidy and flower beds a fresh look.

Read More

After the long warm summer, mornings are starting to feel like autumn with the daylight hours shortening. September is best spent bringing in the rest of the harvest as well as preparing for next years crops and display.

1. Most gardeners like to look ahead and now is the time to start thinking about planting flower bulbs. I like to plant my Daffodils and Crocus first, particularly if you are thinking of having some naturalized in a lawn or grassland area. The best way to get a natural un-regimented effect is to take a handful of bulbs and throw them on the area you wish to plant them. Then plant each bulb where it lands. Planting bulbs in grass can be quite difficult with a trowel, so the best tool to use is a Bulb planter. This tool can be screwed into the soil through the grass and will take out a core of soil and turf. Then you can drop the bulb in the hole and replace the core. The bulbs will then naturally grow up through the grass area, giving a spectacular and natural looking display next spring. Delay planting this years flower bulbs until we have had sufficient rainfall for the lawns to recover and so there is enough moisture below for the bulbs to grow. 
2. If you have some spare ground on your vegetable plot and you find it difficult to get hold of Nitrogen rich Manure to dig in during the autumn, you can now make your own. If you sow Green Manures this month it is an easy way of adding nutrients and organic matter, improving the soil structure and fertility of your vegetable garden. The seed should be sown thinly at a rate of 30-40gms (1- 1.5 oz) per square meter (yard). Seedlings will grow quickly, and can be dug in once they are 23cm (9in) tall. You can leave the plants to grow taller whereby their root system will draw up further minerals but these will need chopping up prior to digging in, but will provide increased bulky matter (humus) to your soil.
3. From this month till mid-October is the ideal time to plant Autumn Onion sets like Senshyu Yellow or Red Electric. These will mature around June/ July next year, just as your stored onions are coming to an end. I always think this is a good crop to grow, as it ensures the kitchen has a continuous supply of onions to use.    
4. If you are growing Melons under glass, these will be almost ready to harvest. Growing a good melon takes a lot of care and attention and can be very rewarding when you cut and taste that first fruit. The fruits can get quite heavy and the last thing you want is for the fruits to fall off the plants now that you are so close to harvest time. One handy tip is to support the fruits as they grow with some string nets or old tights. If you gently squeeze the bottom of the fruit, if ripe they will a little spongy near base and you should smell their aroma, indicating ready to harvest.
5. This month is the ideal time to order Garlic for delivery in October, so you are ready for planting from November onwards. Ordering early will hopefully ensure you get the varieties you like to grow. Once received, these can be laid out in trays in a cool place until you are ready to split up the cloves for planting. Depending on the size of the bulb received will determine the amount of cloves you get, and all varieties vary.  
6. Keep on top of harvesting beans, sweetcorn, late salad crops, outdoor tomatoes and squash this month. As crops finish, clear the ground and chop up the old plants into the compost heap. Keep this ground clean from weeds and this will make it easier to prepare for winter digging or mulching.
7. As autumn is approaching fast and to help keep ponds clean I always think it is best to put some form of fine mesh net, like our Fruit net over your pond now. This will catch the majority of the leaves, and stop them falling into your pond and sinking to the bottom, as this will make a smelly messy sludge on the bottom, as well as using up air from the water. Then once a week, lift off the net and remove the leaves to the compost heap, then replace the net back over the pond; this should hopefully keep the pond clean throughout the autumn. 
8. As summer bedding starts to look shabby this month, gradually clear the borders and empty any containers and baskets that look passed their best. Add this material to your compost heap to gradually rot down for later use. The border soil can be prepared and containers re-filled with fresh compost ready for planting with autumn bedding plants like Pansy, Viola, Bellis, Primroses, Polyanthus and forget-me-nots later this month or in October.  
9. Towards the end of this month, I will be cutting the tops off all my main crop potatoes. This is to help the skins set and prevent them from getting any late blight damage. Once lifted the tubers are placed into paper or hessian sacks and put away in my cool frost free garage for use throughout the winter months.
10. If you are growing Camellias, you may notice this month they are forming buds in their growing points. Now’s the time to feed your plants with a High Potash (Tomato food) and keep them well watered, with rainwater if possible, but its if not available any water will do. This will encourage the buds to swell, rewarding you with a better display of blooms next spring. 

 

Read More

Have a read of Andrew Tokely's gardening tips for this month!

Read More

Read More

Have a read of Andrews top tips for this month!

Read More

What to do in your garden this May.

Read More

What to do in the garden in April.

Read More

           If there is one vegetable that in my opinion always tastes best when freshly picked, it has to be Peas. I love them, especially picked straight from the vine, shelled and eaten whilst wandering around the vegetable plot on a warm summer evening. I have known a time, when I’ve eaten so many, whilst wandering around the garden, that by the time I go indoors my tongue has turned green. 
Peas eaten fresh like this are very sweet, and always have that melt in the mouth flavour.
For the sweetest flavour, peas are always best picked and eaten straight away, because the sugars soon begin converting to starch once picked. That’s why those pods you buy in the supermarket never taste the same as your own.

Read More