The clocks go back tonight – no more pretending that the winter is an age away!
But while we are bidding a sad farewell to yet another glorious summer of gardening there are still tasks to be accomplished such as looking after pots of herbs, cutting back spreaders that may harbour snails and slugs and making a festive wish-list………
All I want for …………
With my mug of coffee in my hand I was browsing through a yellowing copy of The Penguin Book of
Now I suspect that like me you don’t feel the need for “3 scythes”, “50 Melon glasses” or a “Bee Calendar” (though that does sound rather lovely), but we have definitely reached the right time of year to make a list of what you DO want/need in terms of horticultural tools, equipment or clothing. Some new secateurs, a harvesting basket or a pair of proper gardening trousers? Your family will be so grateful for the suggestions on your festive wish-list – and you’ll find something under the Christmas tree that you actually want 😊
Dealing with daisies
I adore the way that pretty little spreader Erigeron karvinskianus (Mexican fleabane) softens all the edges of a harsh run of paving or insinuates itself in the corners of stone steps and walls. Its bright little daisies look very much like the daisies you find in a lawn and I do like the way they open white and then turn pink – a pretty two-toned effect that looks just right in a cottage-y garden amongst the roses.
They apparently prefer ground that doesn’t dry out, but they seem super-happy along my very sunny south-facing path, thriving in the same conditions as the Californian poppies – in other words, no ‘artificial’ watering at all, ever!
They flower for weeks and weeks at 20-30 cm high from early May onwards, and the bees and insects love them. I give them a fairly hearty snip-over at the end of June – they will then keep flowering and flowering right through till, well…..now. Mine are finally faltering though, so it’s time to cut the whole top growth right off back to the ground.
There are lots of things in the garden that I don’t cut back until the spring to leave cover and seedheads for wildlife, but I do with these daisies. If I leave them on, the matted wiry brown stems always become a haven for the hundreds of overwintering snails that lurk in this garden.
For the etymologists among you, it has the folk-name of fleabane because people thought that fleas were repelled or poisoned by it. And even better, the name Erigeron comes from the Ancient Greek for ‘old man early in the day’ – possibly because of its white-haired early-appearing seed-cases or the downy leaves of some species. Hairy and white with blobs of pink? Okay, let’s not go there……….
Two final things to say about this fleabane – if you’d like to know more about this Mexican sweetheart, do read Louise Sims’ lovely piece on it – the link is below. And there is a VERY pretty version of it called ‘Lavender Lady’ available in many places including Amazon (see below on our products page).
How to grow magic Meconopsis
During our trip to the Highlands Laura and I were treated to the usual smug lecture from Caroline about growing the amazingly beautiful blue poppies (Meconopsis) that we can only dream about (our soil is all wrong, and they don’t do well in pots). Her plants are doing very nicely in the sheltered corner of her front bed, but apparently, they do have a reputation for dwindling away after just a few years despite being very hardy.
She has recently heard about a very neat trick to get them to thrive for much longer than that, by digging them up at this time of year, putting a dollop of rotted manure underneath them and then planting them back in the hole again. They obviously like a rich and opulent life – wouldn’t we all! Laura talked Caroline into making a short video on the subject which you can find at the end of today’s blog.
Gardening shorts
- If you have some herbs in pots like thyme, rosemary or sage, it would be a great idea to move them under cover and out of the autumn and winter rains. If you don’t have a cool porch, then just move them next to a wall which will keep them a tad warmer and drier than if they were out in the open
garden . Pot feet can be useful for lifting the pots off the ground so that the compost doesn’t get absolutely waterlogged.
- Welcome gifts of lovely homegrown potatoes this week reminds me to mention that they must be stored in mesh or paper bags or cardboard boxes with holes so that moisture doesn’t build up inside. Choose a cool, dry dark place for them and check them regularly to remove any that are showing signs of softness or rot.
- We were admiring Caroline’s new-to-her acquisition in her Highland
garden – a bird bath, which will be the perfect spot for a drink or a bathe. Remember that encouraging birds into yourgarden can really help with controlling pests like aphids. Have a variety of different feeders for different birds if you can, and use windfall apples and pears cut into small pieces to put on the bird table.
- If you’ve been cutting down quite a lot of woody material through the autumn, remember to chop it into little pieces before putting it on the compost heap which will really help to speed of the composting process. This is where a shredder comes in very handy if you can get access to one.
A small tree with centuries-old history, and fruit that makes the best of any jelly or jam according to Louise. What is it? Read on…
Here is the link if you’d like to read more about Erigeron karvinskianus AGM:
Act now to get the most out of those blue poppies!
It’s getting nippy but winter months are great for tackling
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