Autumn Diary 2008

Autumn has come now and after a disappointing summer with far too much rain, there are advantages when it comes to autumn colour. The weather should create some of the most spectacular colours that we have seen for a long time. Already the Acers in the hedgerows like Acer campestra with their great reds and oranges have turned, and let us not forget the colours created with the common Sycamore. However, it must be time to visit your local Garden Centre and check out those shrubs to bring your garden to life at this time of the year. So let's start with trees. Robinia pseudoacia with it's fernlike leaves going bright yellow, Sorbus cashmiriana for a distinct red, another Acer, Acer griseum, that has a great coloured bark and leaves that turn red to scarlet. For that larger garden why not plant Liquidamber styraciflua, you will love this tree for its mix of colour from yellows through to all the different reds. Lets not forget the shrubs, Acers of course goes without saying but look out in the shrub beds for Berberis, Cotinus, Parrotia, Callicarpa, Viburnum, Crastostigma and not forgetting Amalanchier to name but a few. Continue to plant out bulbs for a colourful spring display.

Don't forget that preparation of the planting area is so important. Work with strong tools like Bulldog spades and forks, dig a good sized hole bigger than the root ball or pot size, then using a fork break the bottom surface of the hole and add in some good compost. I don't put fertilizer here as it just gets washed down deeper. With the soil you have dug out, if it's terrible discard it and get fresh, if not mix compost with it and use to fill around the plant. Always plant trees and shrubs seeing the level of the soil from the pot ends up at the same height as the ground level. Last but not least, add fertilizer to the surface around planting and lightly fork in, and don't forget to stake all trees.

There is so much to do, so you better also get on and complete plantings of daffodils and the smaller bulbs that add such variety to the garden. For extra interest and a good early splash of bright yellow colour try some winter Aconites in a shady spot that needs brightening. Other small bulbs that deserve space include Iris reticulata which are available in blue, white and maroon colours on short stems. The yellow species of Iris called danfordiae is not long lived and often needs replacing every few years, but nonetheless is well worth the space. Ordinary varieties of Glory of the Snow (Chionodoxa) carry several pale blue flowers on short stems. For something different look out for the new variety called 'Pink Giant' that has pastel lilac pink flowers.

This time of the year also means that frosts may not be far away, so after the first one when the Dahlias have been blackened, it will be time to dig them up and wash off soil from between the swollen roots with a hose. Then allow them to dry thoroughly and trim back the stems to about 5cm (2") in length. Wrap each swollen root in layers of newspaper and store in boxes of dry compost in a frost-free place such as a greenhouse, shed or conservatory.

So let us finish on a high note and remind everyone of the joys of growing your own fruit. Now is the time to pick apples and pears as soon as they are ripe, you can store undamaged fruit for eating throughout the winter. You can only successfully store fruit that is in perfect condition - anything that has blemishes or bruising will not last long.

The secret of good storage is to provide the right conditions and only use a late maturing variety such as Bramley's Seedling, Cox's Orange Pippin, Egremont Russet or Spartan. A cool dark, airy shed will provide the right atmosphere and a series of trays stacked one on top of the other will give plenty of space. Wrap each perfect apple in oiled paper or the glossy paper from a magazine and inspect them regularly so that you can throw away any rotting ones immediately. My old Dad used to wrap all ours in pages of telephone directories and then we used to stack the boxes in the loft. As a family we were still eating our own apples and cooking with them when the early Discovery appeared on the trees the next year.

I like to finish with a couple of topical tips, the first is to look out next year for the great new product for your patio from Burgon & Ball which is a collection of baskets that can be grouped together on your patio. All have liners so the soil doesn't go everywhere and are ideal for growing herbs and vegetables, not forgetting maybe you could even plant flowers! They come in natural, white and rumour has it by next season even grey, priced from £15 up to £30.

And finally, greenfly and whitefly can quickly breed to become a problem on many different houseplants. You can now kill them off without spraying thanks to the solid spikes of combined plant food and systemic insecticide found under the name BugClear Ultra for Pots. Just push one or two below the surface of the compost and water normally.

If you want more advice for your garden just e.mail me at -: landscapes@gardeningwithken.com