By this time of year roses will have produced hips and flowers a wide range of seeds and seed heads. You now have a choice to make (or not). These can either be left in the garden as a source of food for your bountiful wildlife, having followed my previous tips or cut and dried and used in dry flower arrangements. Though you may have to wait a little while for the heads to dry and certainly some flowers dry better and make more attractive material than others. There is plenty of information on flowers for drying, so if you like the idea why not consider some for next year. The other alternative and a cunning little tip to save your pennies is to wait for wild flower seed heads to start to shed seed naturally, then pick and shake them over bare soil and you should have wild flowers next year. However, only take a few heads and do not totally strip an area or you may be upsetting the delicate balance of nature. Poppies are a good choice for beginners.
Then again you could just leave them to provide food and shelter for wildlife, also leave mature ivy alone, as it is an excellent late source of nectar for insects.
Now October is here, leaves will be falling so clear these up regularly and start making your own leaf mould, just pop the leaves into a black dustbin liner and store in the garden shed. It will also stop them blocking up drains and gutters if you do it often enough.
I’m sorry but there will still be the perennials to cut back and other dead or not quite dead material to remove. Consider making this into your own compost but if this doesn’t appeal, burn it and use the ashes as a fertiliser (if you are allowed to burn it where you are), failing that take it to your nearest compost or recycling site.
Lawns still feature in the “to do” lists. This could be the last time you need to cut it however the weather needs to be right, if the ground is very soft or frozen (???) forget it, retire indoors, light the fire and put your feet up as you will need all your strength to rake up all those leaves off before they block out the light and air. A leaf-blower will make the job much easier but you will miss out on your exercise or lawnaerobics. If your lawn is uneven take off the turf over the problem area, make up with soil, and relay the turf. Water well.
There is still time to plant out Polyanthus, Viola, Winter Pansies etc. Use only the strongest plants and discard the runts. Now is also a good time to get perennials & Lavender into the ground. Plant quite deeply, so that wind-rock does not loosen the new plants.
Continue planting bulbs for spring-flowering displays. The usual suspects, the old favourites, such as daffodils, crocuses, bluebells, hyacinths and others should be planted early in the month whereas tulips can be planted later in the month and even into early November.
If planting out heathers check that early frosts do not lift the plants. In order to help them root out into the surrounding soil, make sure they have water in dry, windy weather.
Small mammals will be starting to hibernate, so you could leave some of those leaves for the hedgehogs or give them a helping hand by piling them up or make them a hibernation box. Corrugated iron or plastic laid on the soil can provide hidey holes for small reptiles, amphibians and mammals to hibernate in.
Finally, do you realise that there are less than 12 weeks to Christmas. So be well and truly prepared this year and avoid the Christmas rush by doing your Christmas shopping sooner rather than later and avoid the crowds by doing it from home via the internet, catalogue etc. You can shop online for Christmas presents and gifts for all types of garden equipment and accessories that you, your family and friends will love! We are presently updating the product range at the moment, so remember to visit the site regularly in order to catch the latest additions before everyone else!
Until next month.
Noddy.