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Well, October came in with some cold weather and then turned very wet so I thought my prediction of an early Winter was right, only then to brighten up a bit. The evenings are definitely getting colder and the log fire has been lit and enthusiasm for the wet garden is waning. October is the tidy up month so I have lifted the last of the Early Potatoes and started the Runner Bean trench for next year. It will go in the sunniest part of the vegetable patch and stay there, as the Climbing Beans are not at their best in shade. The Maincrop needs to come up next and be stored in a hessian sack in a cool dark spot away from any frost. The Marrow finally produced a good fruit which was stuffed with minced beef and onions plus special ingredients to produce a decent meal, but no sign of a second one yet. Any frost tender vegetables need to be picked and stored by the end of the month. Give everything a good dig over and get the weeds out and leave the winter vegetables to stand in the ground.
Harvest frost tender vegetables.
The wet weather has done the lawn a great deal of good which with the exception of the bare patches, has greened up well. The thatch has been raked out and it looks moderately respectable. With the soil wet it is easy to aerate it with a fork which will help drainage. Edges can be repaired and a final cut performed and then it is best to keep foot traffic to a minimum to avoid compacting the soil again. Just rake up the leaves.
The borders need another weed after the rain to leave them tidy for the winter. Trim back the perennials that have finished for the year and look forward to the Autumn flowers which will be out shortly like Charm Chrysanthemums, Sedum and Nerines. The Japanese Anemones have been good this year and still flowering with Roses soldiering on past the summer. Large clumps of perennials can be divided and replanted. After a total failure last year the Delphinium and Lupin seeds from this year have germinated profusely. They will be over-wintered and planted out next Spring to increase numbers.
Hopefully you have had a bumper crop of Apples this year which are particularly large and most varieties are harvested by the end of October. Apple trees can be pruned in the winter.
Hardy gardeners will find plenty to do through the winter, but I will head indoors to resume my winter hobby of cooking. Autumn can be very cosy and it offers a bit of a break. Plans can be drawn up for next year and seeds need to be ordered. However, it has been a strange year and the future is still no clearer, so I am actually looking forward to a bit of hibernation. Stoke up the log fire, dust off the favourite recipes and fill the cook’s glass. The Duchess enjoys this time of year as well, as she likes my cooking, unless of course the cook’s glass gets filled too often.
We are always looking for new members and try to encourage a fun attitude towards friendly competition. So if you want to grow your own fruit, vegetables and flowers or even enter any of the 3 shows we hold each year, then please get in touch, we would be happy to hear from you.
If you are interested in becoming a new member, (all ages are welcome), please contact Rosey on: 01634 377812 (evenings) or Email: rosemary@ringwoodaccounting.co.uk
Sean Barry - Upchurch Horticultural Society
