Babington House Sophie Martin and her

The autumn harvests have pretty much come to an end at Babington House in Somerset, but Sophie Martin and her team are still busy tidying up the walled garden and looking ahead to an abundant new season to come

WORDS VIVIENNE HAMBLY PHOTOGRAPHS EVA NEMETH

Autumn and winter are a time to reflect, to clear beds and to prepare the garden for a new season.

With most of the harvest now gathered, the growing year slows down this month in the Walled Garden at Babington House in Somerset. Yet as much as this time is about winding down, it is also about looking ahead: the approaching winter brings with it an opportunity to ready the garden for spring.

And there are still winter squash to be harvested, which head gardener Sophie Martin and her team pick when the leaves have died down and there is no longer enough sun to ripen them further. When you pick winter squash, leave about 7cm of stalk attached and place them in a cool, dry place for a few weeks to cure. Curing happens when sugars move from the fl esh of the fruit to the skin, causing it to harden. If stored well, pumpkins and squash will last well into the following year and in winter will o er a bright reminder of summer sun.

Carrots are also brought in to be stored, but Sophie leaves hardier roots such as celeriac and

This is the time to treat peach trees especially against peach leaf curl, a fungus that deforms spring leaves. As the leaves begin to drop, Sophie sprays trees with Vitax Copper Mixture, and does the same again in February. “If you get the timing right, you’ll get rid of it,” she insists.

Above left From autumn, pull up parsnips as and when they’re needed. Top right Pick pumpkins when the foliage dies or the stem hardens. Above right Keep kale and celeriac in situ. parsnips in the ground over winter and these are pulled up as they are needed. “We also leave kale in place for picking, which we do leaf by leaf from the bottom of the plant up,” she explains.

The fl ower beds are not forgotten, either, and autumn sees an en masse planting of spring bulbs. “I like to have them ready to bring in pollinators early in the year,” says Sophie. “We have tulips where the wildfl owers are in summer, as well as narcissus and hyacinths, which are used in arrangements in the house.” This is also a good time to start planting onion sets and garlic, too.

As October gales blast leaves from trees and the first frosts arrive, Sophie focuses on hunkering down for winter, and clearing up the walled garden begins in earnest. “I pick up every rotten apple, even from under the hedges,” she admits. “We do a real tidy up and clear every single bed completely. We take down all the frames and wash and put away all the netting and fleeces. Everything is prepared from October to February, and by February the garden is bare.”

Once the raised beds are clean of spent plants and weeds, she covers them with weed-suppressing membrane, fixed to a frame the size of the bed. This keeps down weeds but lets in winter rain, which, with a mulch applied only in spring, means beds stay damper for longer. In February, Sophie applies mulches on a three-year rotation, using horse manure, municipal compost and a mixture of horse manure and mushroom compost depending on need, with hungrier areas receiving the manure. “I never dig the beds over but I do give them a good weed to get them completely clear. Then we just put mulch on top of the beds and rake it out,” she explains.

This is also the time for maintenance. Compost heaps can be turned, loose raised beds tightened and watering systems put in place. If you are thinking of a water butt, put one in now so it has time to fill. Q

Right Tidy up fallen apples and gather the last ones from the trees. If they’re no good for chutney, add them to the compost heap. Below right Clear beds of vegetables and weeds before covering with mulch in spring. Below left Herbs like sage and rosemary enhance winter dishes.

Sophie and her team manage the gardens at Babington House in Somerset, but they also work with a variety of clients in the West Country. “I try to help clients get the most enjoyment from their gardens from our base near Mells,” she says. For more information call 07971 989996.

For your copy of the finest For your copy of the finest bulb catalogue in the World bulb catalogue in the World visit: www.blomsbulbs.com/catalogue visit: www.blomsbulbs.com/catalogue email: help@blomsbulbs.com email: help@blomsbulbs.com call: 01234 709099 call: 01234 709099 Order your spring bulbs Order your spring bulbs www.blomsbulbs.com www.blomsbulbs.com