As these notes were written just after the start of our second national lockdown, it is probably appropriate to reflect again on how important those of us lucky enough to have them, have found our growing spaces over the past few months.

Gardening is by nature forward looking, so rather than thinking about winter jobs, let’s be optimistic and talk about investing time now for pleasure next year.

Take advantage of bright winter days to tidy up a bit, but as we suggested last month, don’t be over eager. Increasingly leaving things a bit less tidy is being recommended to provide winter food and shelter for wildlife.

Winter can require a bit of patience, avoid sodden or frozen ground as it is all too easy to compress it and ruin the soil structure at this time of year. If you find yourself frustrated and trapped indoors, relax with a cuppa and seed catalogues and look forward to the spring that is just around the corner!

A bit of judicious tidying of old and damaged foliage on Hellebores that will be starting to put up flower spikes in December and January will help to display the flowers to best effect.

Hellebore

Another Hellebore

Now is a good time to prune plants that “bleed” sap at other times of year such as grapevines, Acers and Betula.

We don’t often get heavy snowfall in this area, but if we do then try to clear snow from evergreen hedges as the excess weight can cause the plants to split.

Winter brassicas will be dropping older leaves and it is a good idea to tidy this up so that they don’t provide over-wintering sites for pests and diseases. If you have a heated greenhouse, then pests such as whitefly and mealy bugs will still be active, so watch out for these even through the winter.

Once you’re fed up with tidying and have ordered next year’s seeds, it is also a good time of year to get creative and increase your plant stocks by taking hardwood cuttings (for example roses) and root cuttings (Verbascum, Acanthus, Oriental Poppy, Japanese Anemone).

Most important of all, look after yourselves and stay safe.  2021 holds out the hope of better times ahead with Covid vaccines on the horizon, but there is still going to be a lot of hunkering down over the winter before we can all emerge into a brighter spring.

With short, dark days dominating, what could be better than looking forward to next spring by planting tulips? Plant them deep (three times the depth of the bulb) and if your ground is heavy, add some gravel to the bottom of the hole to aid drainage.  You might not reach the levels of drama of the Keukenhof gardens, but tulips are hard to beat for opulent flowers in late spring.

We are also in prime planting time for bare root trees and shrubs (and raspberry canes). Make a square hole 2-3 times the size of the rootball to a depth the same as the soil line on the stem add some mycorrhizal fungi and water in well.  a wide (and square) hole encourages the roots to spread out helping new plants to establish more quickly. This step-by-step guide from the RHS shows how straightforward the process can be.

Tidying up tends to be a popular theme this month, but let’s remember that there is increasing evidence that not being too tidy can help wildlife by providing food and shelter for invertebrates, birds and mammals. There are however some bits of tidying that it is worth doing, clear leaves from paths and lawns and if you have the space store them in leaf mould bins. In a couple of years you’ll have a really good soil conditioner. If you suffer from rose black spot, then collect up all the fallen leaves from the roses, but burn these leaves to avoid creating reservoirs for the disease. With the winters around here being quite mild in recent years, traditional practices like lifting dahlia tubers may no longer be necessary.

Trees grown for winter bark colour like Acer griseum and Betula utilis look even better if you wash the bark with a mild soapy water solution. While thinking about trees, if you have any that are staked, check that the stake is still sound and that the tie has not got too tight as the tree has grown over the summer.

In the vegetable garden, if you grow winter brassicas, make sure that they are netted or hungry pigeons will soon strip your crop.  This was one of our cages back in the spring.  You can see how tight the netting is, which not only makes sure that there are no gaps for pests to gain entry, but also means that birds or small mammals can’t get caught up in loose, flapping netting.

Brassica cage May 2020

October is a real month of transition, early in the month it can still feel like late summer, by the end we may well have had the first frosts and the hour has gone back. Tasks will therefore change as the month progresses. In early October, dead-heading Dahlias will prolong flowering, but by the end of the month you may be lifting the tubers for winter storage.

October is a good time to move established shrubs. The soil is warm, so roots will start to establish as soon as they are re-planted, but growth is slow, so there will be less stress on the plant. For deciduous shrubs it is best to wait until leaf fall is complete.

There is lots that can be done to prepare for next spring. Feeding and scarifying lawns will help them to overwinter in better condition. It is the perfect time to plant spring bulbs and hardy spring bedding –like primulas wallflowers and forget-me-nots. You can also sow sweet peas now for next summer’s display.

In the kitchen garden it is also a time for enjoying the fruits of this year, while preparing for next year. Harvest hard-skinned squashes and pumpkins before the first frosts ready for storage, putting boards under the ripening fruit helps to protect them from rotting if the soil gets damp. In our garage they are currently joined by potatoes, onions and garlic.

Storage of squashes, potatoes and onions

Our domestic “giant” pumpkin was hard fought, although neither of them were exactly giants, with the winner weighing in at a whisper under 30kg.

Pumpkin contest

Apply grease bands to minimise infestation by winter moths on apples and pears and for next year plant autumn sowing garlic and onion sets and they’ll get good root systems established before winter sets in.

September should be show time and the chance to celebrate growing and using produce in Cookham. Sadly this year the fete and show have been cancelled, so competitive celebrations are off the menu. Our road had a “distanced” walk round flower and produce show, so that we could all share in the growing, cooking and creative efforts of our neighbours. We were in the midst of harvesting on the allotment, so were able to put together a colourful display.

Display for walk round show

September is still a great month to celebrate your growing spaces as it combines the best of high summer with the emergence of autumn. As well as the fiery colours of Sunflowers, Dahlias, Rudbeckia, Gazanias and Gaillardias, you may be enjoying the more pastel shades of Fuchsias, second flowerings of Delphiniums and sweet peas. Fruit are ripening and in addition to edible harvests, ornamentals such as crab apples and Pyracantha are colouring up nicely. On harvesting it is no coincidence that there are shows at this time of year as it is one of the most abundant months for fruit and vegetables.

Flower jars

Many of us have spent more time than usual in our gardens this year and interest in growing has boomed, so reflect and take the time to enjoy what you’ve achieved. Take photographs to remind yourself of the successes and also to help your planning. If you identify gaps or spaces that don’t quite work now, then with bulb and plant catalogues dropping on to the doorstep it is the perfect time to plan your autumn planting.

With an interesting year of weather – floods, unprecedented spring sunshine, heat waves and storms so far, autumn remains the most reliable time for getting new plants into the ground.