Gardening with Suzi M

Make the most of your garden as days shorten

Is there anything better than the beautiful autumn colours created by our shrubs and trees getting ready for their winter sleep? Nothing compares to the rich spectrum of reds, of pruning and removing all those striking seed golds and purples. Let’s not forget the berries of heads, leave them in. Hydrangeas, tall grasses, pyracanthia, cotoneaster, holly and mahonia, which poppies, aquilegias and sedums are not only help to keep our birds fed. stunning but will act as winter food for birds and a It’s a shame that wind and rain will clear away safe haven for over-wintering insects so they will be the palette of colour almost overnight. The dark, ready to feast on plant pests next season. grey and damp months of autumn will still produce Shorter daylight hours mean we need to make the surprising gems. most of our time spent in the garden or allotment The borders will quickly become bare so instead plot to prepare for the next growing year.

Jobs in the garden for November

Sow spinach or Swiss chard for continual “light” frost) prune the foliage down, dig up the

“greens” throughout the winter period. Swiss tubers and clean them by washing away the soil chard comes in a variety of bold colours and can in a bucket of water. Turn the tuber upside down add bright interest in your vegetable beds. and place in a tray or cardboard box to dry.

Collect fallen leaves if you have access to a Remember to tie a label round the plant – you’ll ready supply. You do not need to have a special never remember which dahlia it was, trust me, leaf mould bin just fill a bin liner, knot up and I speak from experience. Cover with some pierce. These will rot down and make a great soil cardboard and place in a frost-free shed or improver or mulch. greenhouse.

It’s not too late to plant spring bulbs in pots Protect any frost tender plants particularly those for a stunning display of daffodils, tulips, or very in pots such as olives, ferns, cordylines. fragrant grape hyacinths. Under plant trees with Bubble wrap the pot base to keep the roots nice fritillaria and snow drops. After a long winter and toasty and if necessary throw horticultural we need those first glimpses of spring and they fleece over the main plant body. will provide an early source of food for our pollinators. Autumn can be a delight in any garden so enjoy all that is on offer.

Store dahlias/gladiolis and begonias. Once the frost has blackened the foliage (usually the first By Suzi M - garden lover and plotter at Roundhill Allotments

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