We start this month with the annual reminder that the Cookham Flower and Produce Show is now just over a fortnight away.  This year the village show is scheduled for Saturday the 17th of September and don’t forget that there are cooking and handicraft classes and a special children’s section as well as the traditional fruit, vegetable and flower classes. The more entries there are, the better the display in the hall, so please support this annual celebration of all things grown and made.

For people (like us) who are feeling that they’ve struggled to get some things growing in the hot and very dry conditions this year, don’t forget that everyone is in the same boat and what you think is disappointing may be marvelled at by other growers. Of course for some crops the weather has been perfect, so the displays of tomatoes and sweet and chilli peppers could be outstanding this year.

Chilli Peppers at an earlier village show

The show only makes a spectacle in the village hall if there are plenty of entries, so have a go and support the fantastic band of volunteers who make it happen. You never know you might just end up with a prize winner’s certificate or two.

Entry Forms are in the Cookham Dean Fete programme or available from the organiser Helen Philip (07549 519246 helenphilip@hotmail.co.uk). Entry forms need to be with Helen by 6pm Thursday 15th September at 50, Whyteladyes Lane Cookham Berkshire SL6 9LP with entry fees (50p per class).

So to this month’s favourite plant.  By no coincidence, this is a flower and produce show stalwart – the Dahlia. Few flowering plants offer such a range of colours, sizes and forms, with a really long flowering period. Regular dead-heading can see blooms from July through to the first frosts, but September is just about the peak.  Here they are as a key component of a prize winning display at the Cookham show…

Top Vase Winner

… and here they are as a central feature of table decorations.

Flower jars

Dahlias used to be considered as quite fiddly to care for, needing to be lifted and stored through winter to prevent the tubers rotting in cold, damp conditions.  However, around here these measures seem to be unnecessary as the plants survive quite happily with minimal winter care.  Simply cut the stems down to ground level after the first frosts have killed this year’s growth and if you want to give them a bit of extra love, mulch to provide a bit of extra winter protection.

Dahlias are easy to propagate by division and autumn is a good time to do that if plants are getting too big.  In this case, do lift the tubers after frost has killed off the foliage and then gently tease apart the tubers.  Any piece of tuber that has a clear growing point at the top should spring back into growth next spring.  We simply pot up the divided tubers and store the pots in an unheated greenhouse (if there is room) or in a sheltered spot in the garden (next to a wall and in a rain shadow is ideal).  This fairly minimal amount of care has given us very good results over the years and as the plants spring back into growth the following spring we re-plant selected specimens and donate the rest to family, friends and charity plant sales.

You can also propagate through cuttings, but this is a job for next spring once growth re-starts.

Deep mid-winter is a time for gardens (and gardeners) to rest for a while. With a bit of luck we’ll get some proper cold weather to ensure that plants go into proper dormancy and pests have a harder job over-wintering. If the ground is frozen or waterlogged (the latter is probably more likely around here) then keep off lawns and bed and let nature get on with the work for now. You can stay warm and dry, focus on seed and plant catalogues and plan 2022’s displays and harvests.

December and January is the perfect time for one of our favourite jobs, pruning apples, quinces and pears. Take it slowly, an interesting thought we were given was “spend as much time looking as cutting”. Firstly cut out dead, diseased and damaged wood and then work on creating a nice open structure that will allow plenty of airflow next summer and coincidentally leave you a striking winter silhouette.

Quince tree

There is no getting away from the fact that the days are very short and that light is at a premium, so winter containers featuring primulas, pansies, early flowering bulbs, evergreens and plants with coloured stems such as Cornus can add much needed splashes of brightness and colour.  These flowers and plants will also be brightening up the garden as well.

One of the great things about gardening is that one is always looking forward. Even at cold and dark times of the year, you can get on with seed sowing and propagation. We start our onions and leeks in December and by the end of January there will be aubergines on the way. It is also a great time of year for taking hardwood cuttings such as roses and fruit bushes.  This is a very simple technique, which usually gives very good success rates, you simply need a bit of patience and to make sure that cuttings don’t dry out once warmer weather arrives,

Some gentle tidying up can help you to feel in control, clearing up leaves on lawns and paths, and a gentle mow of the grass (if the weather has been dry) makes everything look better. Mulching weed-free beds with organic matter will encourage earthworms, and they can get on with improving the soil structure while you stay warm indoors.

With the clocks having gone back and dark descending ever earlier November can seem like a month for gardeners to start hibernating. However, there will be days when it is lovely to get out and time invested now will yield rewards next spring and summer. Generally the soil is still quite warm in November and you can take advantage of this by planting and moving shrubs and perennials and renovating lawns.

Nowadays, container grown plants are available all year round, but bare root plants, including roses become available in November. These are often significantly cheaper and specialist nurseries will offer a wider range of plants than are generally available through garden centres. You can plant both container grown and bare root plants throughout November unless the soil is waterlogged or frozen.  Getting plants into the ground as soon as possible will give more time for root development and better displays next year.

Making sure that there is space, and the right conditions, for roots to develop is really important and the RHS website provides a really good guide to shrub planting.

Similarly, if you have a shrub which needs to move to a new home, now is the time to do it. When lifting it, make sure that you retain as much of the root ball as possible and cut back excess top growth to reduce the strain on the roots. Prepare the new planting hole well and use mycorrhizal fungi on the roots. Firm the shrub in and then give it a good soak. Remember to keep it watered throughout next spring and summer.

Even though we say this every year, don’t forget that November is tulip planting time. These later flowering bulbs bring a real sense of opulence to gardens in the later spring. You can of course also keep on planting all the other spring flowering bulbs

The ever-shortening days of October leave no doubt that autumn is here. However, warm days in the early part of the month can seem like a last bit of summer, while frosts at the end signal that winter is on the way. This is a month for enjoying the last of this year’s displays, while preparing for next year.

Flowers like Dahlias, Echinacea, Rudbeckia and Gaillardia will all keep flowering until the first frosts, so keep dead-heading.

A Cookham flower border in mid-October

Adding winter bedding will brighten up bare patches left by the removal of spent summer bedding or the dying back of herbaceous perennials as colder nights start to bite.

Roses may well still be flowering in October, but growth is likely to be getting weaker, so it is a good time to reduce the height of plants. Take them down by about a third so that they won’t rock in winter winds and disturb the roots. Clear away fallen leaves to prevent black spot spores overwintering under the plants.

As grass growth slows down, it’s a good time to apply an autumn treatment. Proprietary autumn mixes contain less nitrogen (so less leaf growth) and more phosphorus (for root growth) and potassium (for winter hardiness). Scarifying and aerating will also help to prepare the grass plants for winter by allowing both air and light to reach the base of the plants.

In the kitchen garden it is harvest time for hard-skinned squashes and pumpkins and the winter vegetables like parsnips, leeks and cabbages will all be good now.

Squashes Curing ready for storage

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Looking forward to next spring, you can plant broad beans, garlic and onions now and they will develop strong roots in the warm autumn soil and give you a racing start for next year.

After last year’s hiatus the village show is going ahead this year (at least it is at the time of writing). Saturday the 18th of September is the big day and don’t forget that there are cooking and handicraft classes and a special children’s section as well as the traditional fruit, vegetable and flower classes. The more entries there are, the better the spectacle in the hall.

There are classes for a wide range of fruit, vegetables and flowers.  Some like giant vegetables, potatoes and carrots are a bit more demanding of growers’ skills, while others like tomatoes and chilli peppers are ideally suited for the beginner.  The “Any Other Vegetable” and “Oddest Shaped Vegetable” classes give you the chance to show off the wierd, whacky, spectacular and not quite right.

A new class making its debut a year late this year is for a basket of allotment produce. With three different allotment sites in Cookham, there ought to be plenty of people who can have a stab at this “no rules” class.  Can anyone beat this offering we saw at the Malvern Autumn Show a couple of years ago?

A Trug full of Produce

Entry Forms are in the Cookham Dean Fete programme or from the new organiser Helen Philip (07549 519246 helenphilip@hotmail.co.uk). Entry forms need to be with Helen by 6pm Thursday 16th September at 50, Whyteladyes Lane Cookham Berkshire SL6 9LP with entry fees (50p per class).

The show is a competition, but a very friendly one and all entrants whether new or experienced are welcomed with open arms. Staging takes place from 9am to 11am on the Saturday morning and there will be lots of friendly and supportive people around to help any newcomers and indeed old stagers who can’t remember how to assemble the flower vases (guilty).

If you’re not entering this year, pop in and have a look and either be inspired by your neighbours or convinced that you could do better yourself next year. Finally, make sure that you are around for the after show auction to get the chance to buy the very freshest and most local of produce.

In an odd year for weather, July seemed to promise that a hot high summer is on the way (at least at the time of writing). So, first and foremost use the summer to enjoy your outdoor spaces. Whether entertaining or simply sitting and watching the world go by, make the most of it. From our bench we can smell lavenders and roses, watch the bird feeder and admire our high summer colour with Dahlias, Cosmos, Penstemons and Gaura all in bloom.

Back Garden Bench Aug 2020

However, there are plenty of things to keep you occupied if you choose. You could summer prune Wisteria – trim off the whippy new shoots, cutting back to 7 buds (approximately) from the main stem to encourage flower buds for next season. Once the bees have finished Lavender and Hebes can be lightly trimmed to keep them tidy. Take off the spent flower heads plus a little bit of the new wood. This helps to keep the shrub to shape and helps to encourage bushy growth for next season’s flower stalks.  Do avoid cutting into older wood on Lavender as they will struggle to rejuvenate from that.

The wet weather of early summer this year means that grass probably still needs regular cutting , but if the weather is dry raise the blades of the mower a little to reduce stress on your lawn.

Rambling roses only flower once. Now that they have finished, prune them back to tidy up the framework (many ramblers are extremely vigorous and will soon get out of hand). Some ramblers have beautiful hips, so let these develop for autumn colour and wildlife food.

In the kitchen garden, the main job is to keep picking and eating. Courgettes, beans, and salad leaves will all benefit from regular cropping. In the greenhouse peppers and aubergines are starting to fruit and tomatoes should be cropping heavily by now.

Rosa Bianca Aubergine Aug 2020

Aubergines Aug 2020

Tomatoes 5 Aug 2018

If you are lucky enough to have too much produce to eat it all fresh, preserving helps to extend the eating window. Some produce is ideal for simple freezing (e.g. beans), but others like tomatoes can be cooked and frozen to give a taste of summer in the dark winter months.